Humans now drive evolution on Earth, both creating and destroying species
Jul 04, 2016 18:47 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
When scientists examine the impact of humans on the planet, the focus is mainly on the extinction of species. But increasingly researchers are looking at the idea that humans, through animal domestication, relocation and...
Shrinking hole in the ozone layer shows what collective action can achieve
Jul 04, 2016 18:26 pm UTC| Nature Insights & Views
The hole in the ozone layer was first discovered in 1985 by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, who described how ozone levels above the Antarctic were steadily dropping compared to the previous decade. This was...
What President Buhari can do to help Ogoniland clean up oil pollution
Jun 30, 2016 14:44 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The Nigerian government has finally started the clean-up of oil-soaked Ogoniland after years of inaction. A billion dollars has been committed to what has been described as one of the worlds most wide-ranging and long-term...
Green and cool roofs provide relief for hot cities, but should be sited carefully
Jun 30, 2016 13:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature Technology
More than half of the worlds population lives in cities, and the United Nations projects that this share will rise to 70 percent by 2050. During the daytime, these expanding urban areas absorb more solar energy than the...
Does a planet need plate tectonics to develop life?
Jun 28, 2016 20:05 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature Science
Plate tectonics may be a phase in the evolution of planets that has implications for the habitability of exoplanets, according to new research published this month in the journal Physics of the Earth and Planetary...
We can have fish and dams: here's how
Jun 27, 2016 23:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Fish are the most threatened group among Earths freshwater vertebrates. On average, freshwater fish populations have declined by 76% over the past 40 years. Damaged fish communities and declining fisheries characterise...
How science can genetically strengthen endangered plants and agriculture
Jun 23, 2016 18:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science Nature
As the human population swells and in the face of a changing and unpredictable climate the demand for natural resources increases. This leads to distressing rates of deforestation to prepare land for agriculture,...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects