Topic

Environment & Climate

A collection of 14 issues

Finland's Glowing Reindeer and the Quest to Prevent Road Collisions

To combat thousands of annual vehicle collisions in its dark northern forests, the Finnish Reindeer Herders' Association trialed a unique solution: reflective paint. Sprayed on antlers and fur, the coating glows in headlights to make reindeer visible at night.

The Unsettling Mystery of California's Blue Feral Pigs

Harnessing heat for energy requires a temperature difference, a principle of thermodynamics. Ambient warmth on a hot day lacks a colder reservoir for energy to flow to. Air conditioners reverse this, using electricity to pump heat from a cool interior to the warmer outdoors.

General Sherman: The Story of Earth's Largest Living Thing

In California's Sequoia National Park, the General Sherman Tree stands as the largest living single-stem tree by volume on Earth. Estimated to be over 2,200 years old, this ancient titan's sheer scale represents a monumental symbol of nature's endurance.

Antarctica's Ultimate Sacrifice: The Weddell Seal Mother's Starvation Strategy

In the Antarctic, Weddell seal mothers perform an incredible act of devotion. For up to seven weeks, they do not eat, converting their own body mass into milk that is over 60% fat. This allows their pups to gain massive weight and survive the harsh cold.

The Birth of a Species A Process of Populations and Isolation

The creation of a new species is not a sudden event starring a single mutant. Instead, speciation is a gradual process where genetic changes spread through a population. Over time, reproductive isolation, often due to barriers, allows this group to diverge genetically.

The Antarctic Echo: Why Australia's Cool, Sunny Days Are Deceptively Dangerous

The Antarctic ozone 'hole' is not a permanent fixture but a seasonal thinning caused by pollutants in extreme cold. In spring, this ozone-depleted air drifts over Australia, increasing UV radiation. Because the UV index isn't tied to temperature, a cool day can be more dangerous than a hot one.

Project Rhisotope: Can a Dose of Nuclear Science Save the Rhino?

A novel conservation effort, the Rhisotope Project, is combatting rhino poaching by making their horns radioactive. By injecting safe amounts of radioactive material into the horn, it becomes undesirable to buyers and easily detectable, devaluing it on the black market and disrupting trafficking.

Beyond Today's Maps: The Slow, Unstoppable Collision Forming Pangaea Proxima

Plate tectonics are slowly rearranging our world. In 250 million years, the Atlantic may vanish, merging the Americas with a fused Afro-Eurasian landmass. This theorized supercontinent, Pangaea Proxima, offers a profound look at the dynamic, ever-changing nature of Earth's surface.