Science

In 2018, scientists moved wolves to an isolated island to rebuild its ecosystem; five years later, researchers found out if it worked |

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In 2018, scientists moved wolves to an isolated island to rebuild its ecosystem; five years later, researchers found out if it worked |

A new study reveals that wolves brought back to Isle Royale National Park are building a self-sustaining population. Researchers observed the wolves from September 2018 to September 2023 after the National Park Service released 19 animals captured in Minnesota, Michigan and Ontario. The population grew steadily during this period, reaching a minimum of 27 wolves … Read more

In 2024, Nevada built a 1.8-million-panel solar farm in the Mojave; its panels helped a rare plant hold water longer and produce 10 times more fruit |

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In 2024, Nevada built a 1.8-million-panel solar farm in the Mojave; its panels helped a rare plant hold water longer and produce 10 times more fruit |

On the edge of the Mojave Desert, rows of solar panels now cover ground that once looked much like the surrounding landscape: pale sand, scattered vegetation and long stretches of exposed soil. The Gemini solar project, northeast of Las Vegas, was built across about 20 square kilometres and contains roughly 1.8 million panels. Before construction, … Read more

In 2010, Thailand sank 25 retired battle tanks into the Gulf to rebuild fishing grounds; 9 years later, researchers found 53 fish species

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In 2010, Thailand sank 25 retired battle tanks into the Gulf to rebuild fishing grounds; 9 years later, researchers found 53 fish species

Almost 10 years after the tanks went under, researchers from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok did some diving to see what had grown up around the man-made reef sites. Battle tank is made for war. It is built to cross tough terrain, take a beating and dominate a battlefield. But what if the battlefield disappears and … Read more

Scientists recreated an ancient Chinese bronze-casting technique with 3D printing; a process that took weeks now takes under 40 hours |

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Scientists recreated an ancient Chinese bronze-casting technique with 3D printing; a process that took weeks now takes under 40 hours |

a 3D-printed outer mold negatives; b Assembled configuration of the outer mold negatives; c 3D-printed core negatives; d Assembled configuration of the core negatives. Image Credit: Nature Researchers have recreated the logic of an ancient Chinese bronze-casting technique with digital modelling, 3D printing and substitute materials, cutting a process that traditionally takes weeks to less … Read more

After a 25-acre Lake Erie wetland was reconnected, sonar recorded 3.44 million fish detections over 2,022 monitoring hours across four years, showing the restored habitat was used continuously

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After a 25-acre Lake Erie wetland was reconnected, sonar recorded 3.44 million fish detections over 2,022 monitoring hours across four years, showing the restored habitat was used continuously

After a 25-acre Lake Erie wetland was reconnected A restored 25-acre coastal wetland on the southern shore of western Lake Erie was used continuously by millions of aquatic animals after it was reconnected to nearby waterways, according to a four-year acoustic monitoring study led by researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The scientific … Read more

MIT researchers drilled a 2-by-3-foot hole through 3.6 feet of Arctic sea ice and sent a robot below; the prototype transmitted data through the ice at 1.2 kilobytes per second

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MIT researchers drilled a 2-by-3-foot hole through 3.6 feet of Arctic sea ice and sent a robot below; the prototype transmitted data through the ice at 1.2 kilobytes per second

Arctic ice with flags of countries participating in Operation Ice Camp 2026 and Havguard’s communications device, enclosed in a polycarbonate pressure vessel The Arctic sea is becoming noisier and harder to reach. Beneath its frozen surface, cracking ice, marine mammals and passing ships create a constantly changing underwater soundscape. For scientists trying to understand this … Read more

In 2002, Lundy began its rat-eradication project; puffins later rose from 13 in 2000 to 1,335, and more than 40,000 seabirds now nest on the island

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In 2002, Lundy began its rat-eradication project; puffins later rose from 13 in 2000 to 1,335, and more than 40,000 seabirds now nest on the island

Off the coast of southwest England, the small island of Lundy was once a textbook case of how invasive rats can devastate seabird colonies. By the late 1990s, puffin numbers had crashed to just 13 breeding pairs, and many other seabirds had abandoned the island altogether. In 2002, conservationists launched an ambitious rat-eradication project to … Read more

Meet Thorin Jonsson, the biologist who used 165-million-year-old insect wings to recreate the sounds of a Jurassic forest |

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Meet Thorin Jonsson, the biologist who used 165-million-year-old insect wings to recreate the sounds of a Jurassic forest |

Millions of years ago, several species produced higher frequencies, just like the native leaf grasshopper. Image Credit: Thoris Jonsson/University of Graz Jurassic World was not silent. Around 165 million years ago, forests in present day Inner Mongolia were filled with the calls of insects communicating through sounds that ranged from low tones to frequencies beyond … Read more

A Michigan scientist buried seeds in 20 glass bottles in 1879; 142 years later, some still grew, and the experiment is set to run until 2100

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A Michigan scientist buried seeds in 20 glass bottles in 1879; 142 years later, some still grew, and the experiment is set to run until 2100

Michigan State University botanist William James Beal buried 20 glass bottles filled with seeds In 1879, Michigan State University botanist William James Beal buried 20 glass bottles filled with seeds and sand in an effort to answer a deceptively simple question: how long could seeds remain dormant in the soil and still grow when conditions … Read more

A pigeon with a ‘bleeding heart’ has returned after 20 years: Rare Philippine bird spotted in 2026, but why its comeback may not be good news

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A pigeon with a ‘bleeding heart’ has returned after 20 years: Rare Philippine bird spotted in 2026, but why its comeback may not be good news

A camera on the Philippine island of Mindoro captured one of the country’s rarest birds, confirming that the critically endangered Mindoro bleeding-heart pigeon still survives in the wild. The bird was spotted in August in the Puerto Galera rainforest, and is the first confirmed photograph of the species Gallicolumba platenae in two decades, according to … Read more