Undersea Cables Are the Latest Tools for Earthquake Detection
Rumbles and tides create tiny, detectable disturbances in fiber optics. The world’s cables could form a vast network for detecting earthquakes and tsunamis.
The Wetlands Are Drowning
A long-term study of a marsh was meant to ask whether rising levels of CO2 could help wetlands thrive despite rising seas. The plants aren’t keeping up.
Nuclear Fusion Is Already Facing a Fuel Crisis
It doesn’t even work yet, but nuclear fusion has encountered a shortage of tritium, the key fuel source for the most prominent experimental reactors.
The Online Spider Market Is Massive—and Crawling With Issues
A new study shows the enormous extent of the global arachnid trade, one that might be undermining wild populations.
The Almighty Squabble Over Who Gets to Name Microbes
Scientists are just starting to uncover the vast diversity of microbes out there. The only problem? No one can agree on how to name them.
This Is Where Dirty Old Cars Go to Die
The electric vehicle revolution is gathering speed—but what happens to all those polluting cars already on the road?
Carbon-Rich Peat Is Disappearing. But Is It Also Growing?
Scientists have discovered “proto-peat” forming in the Arctic as the Earth naturally sequesters carbon, but it could take centuries to mature.
Farming Drives Toward ‘Precision Agriculture’ Technologies
Although real-world data is scant, proponents say robotics and AI will soon revolutionize agriculture.
A New Gas-Guzzling Postal Fleet Could Be Halted by Lawsuits
Suits by states and environmentalists are contesting a USPS contract to buy 165,000 trucks, the majority of which get only 8.6 miles per gallon.