For decades, when we thought about tornadoes in the U.S., our minds went straight to “Tornado Alley” — that broad, windy stretch across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas where nature regularly...
Imagine building a skyscraper—without cranes, without concrete, and in the middle of the ocean—one millimeter at a time. That’s what corals do. Not once, but over centuries, they have created...
It sounds like something out of a bizarre survival guide: “Eat enough hot peppers and you’ll become unappetizing to predators.” Spicy food lovers might find this oddly inspiring, especially those...
We’ve spent decades battling mosquito-borne illnesses—malaria, dengue, Zika—trying to break the chain of transmission. With all the science and effort poured into disease control, a surprisingly persistent question remains: Why...
Every summer, it feels like the skies of the Pacific Northwest turn a little grayer, not from rain, but from smoke. Wildfires, once considered rare disasters, are now a near-annual...
Imagine a lake that’s been sealed off from the world for over 15 million years. No sunlight, no fresh air, no outside contact. Just ice, cold water, and… life? That’s...
If you’ve ever wondered when the Earth’s carbon problem really began, you’re not alone. It’s easy to assume that carbon levels in our atmosphere have gone up simply because “there’s...
It happens after nearly every rainy day: you step outside, and there they are—earthworms writhing on sidewalks, scattered across wet asphalt like lost wanderers. You might feel bad, puzzled, or...
Ever bought a bottle of “pure vitamin D” at the pharmacy and wondered what’s really inside? If you’ve imagined some kind of magical glowing drop or pristine white capsule packed...
Imagine standing on Earth a billion years ago. But don’t picture jagged peaks or towering ranges stretching into the clouds. Picture something else entirely: a vast, almost featureless landscape. Flat....