Author Archives: Douglas Fox

The high life

Clouds are full of living microscopic organisms, not just bits of dust and soot. Some scientists believe that germs living inside clouds might sometimes trigger rain or snow. Credit: Douglas Fox

The sky is full of microscopic life, some of which might even trigger rain or snow

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Watching our seas rise

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Satellites, coral reefs, ancient Roman fishponds and sinking cities help us understand how humans are changing sea level

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The oldest place on Earth

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Antarctica may seem like the dead continent, but it once bustled with life — a little of which still survives

Posted in Earth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A ghost lake

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Scientists study an ancient lake that once covered much of Utah to learn lessons for the future

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Big rocks’ balancing acts

Rocks

Scientists study how balanced boulders resist falling over — and what that may say about earthquakes.

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Full-body Taste

Turns out that the tongue isn’t the only place where the body can taste what you ate

Posted in Life

Pollution at the ends of the Earth

Chemicals are turning up in small Arctic villages far from factories and cities

Posted in Environment & Pollution | Tagged , , ,

Letting molecules do the work

Why go to the trouble of carefully building electric circuits when the circuits can build themselves?

Posted in Chemistry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Letting molecules do the work

Why go to the trouble of carefully building electric circuits when the circuits can build themselves?

Posted in Technology & Engineering | Tagged , ,

Invisible fossils of the first animals

Though the first animals on Earth didn’t leave behind rock fossils, scientists can still find these ancient creatures by observing their invisible molecular fossils

Posted in Dinosaurs & Fossils