Topic

Environment & Climate

A collection of 26 issues

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.

Science & Nature Technology & Innovation Environment & Climate

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.

Science & Nature Geography & Places Environment & Climate

More Than Meets the Eye: The Startling Survival Trick of the Himalayan Vulture

High in the Himalayas, a majestic vulture employs a startling defense. When threatened, the Himalayan Griffon fluffs its feathers to create a pair of false 'eyes,' an intimidating display designed to startle predators. This is a remarkable example of deimatic behavior in the animal kingdom.

Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities Environment & Climate

The Cerulean Swine: Unraveling the Chemical Mystery of California's Blue-Fatted Boars

Hunters in California discovered feral hogs with shocking, bright blue fat, sparking wild theories. The neon hue wasn't alien or industrial but a stark lesson in chemistry. Wildlife officials traced the cause to rodent poisons containing a potent blue dye, which bioaccumulated in the boars' tissues.

Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities Environment & Climate

Beyond the Alarm: What Really Happens When a Reactor Melts

A nuclear meltdown isn't a Hollywood explosion, but a slow, intense overheating of a reactor's core. When cooling fails, fuel rods melt into a radioactive lava, challenging multiple layers of containment. Understanding this process demystifies one of modern technology's most feared accidents.

Science & Nature Technology & Innovation Environment & Climate

Meet the Binturong: The Popcorn-Scented 'Bearcat' That Isn't a Bear or a Cat

Discover the Binturong, a unique Southeast Asian mammal often called a bearcat. It's neither, but belongs to a genus of its own. Known for its prehensile tail and a distinctive scent uncannily similar to buttered popcorn, this vulnerable arboreal creature is a true oddity of the animal kingdom.

Science & Nature Oddities & Curiosities Environment & Climate

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