Fiber optics take the pulse of the planet
By Carolyn Wilke It’s like radar, but with light. Distributed acoustic sensing — DAS — picks up tremors from volcanoes, quaking ice and deep-sea faults, as well as traffic rumbles and whale calls. Read more
A new history for the tropical forests of the Americas
By Pablo Correa Fossilized leaves and pollen are revealing the evolutionary past of New World tropical forests. The findings are helping to reshape predictions of what might happen to these ecosystems as the climate changes. Read more
As the Arctic warms, beavers move in
By Sharon Levy Scientists are just beginning to study the impacts of beaver dams on the tundra Read more
Registration now open
Beyond COP27: Who will pay for climate solutions?
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 | 9am PT | 12pm ET | 5pm GMT
FREE EVENT: Economic issues were front and center at the most recent global climate summit. Join Tobias Adrian of the International Monetary Fund and Shuang Liu of the World Resources Institute to take stock of the investments needed to prevent climate chaos.
From the archives
Hawai’i’s Mauna Loa volcano was ripe for an eruption, and last week, it happened. While no people are in danger as of this writing, lava flows have shut down data collection at the famed Mauna Loa Observatory, which has been monitoring the planet’s carbon dioxide levels since 1958, Oliver Milman writes for the Guardian. Learn more about volcanoes — in this case, long-sleeping ones that may not really be extinct — in our opinion piece by a geologist and volcanologist.
There are more active volcanoes than you think
By Luca Caricchi and Guido Giordano OPINION: Volcanologists warn that magma-filled vents evolve over time, leading to an underestimation of the number that might erupt — especially those capable of the biggest explosions Read more
A story on the environmental footprint of fake meat, by Knowable Magazine contributor Bob Holmes, was selected as a best story of the year in the food category by the content-saving app Pocket. Thanks, Pocket! Check out other stories in the collection (which feature pawpaws, pickle juice, Aldi’s cult following and more) and read Holmes’s piece if you missed it the first time.
What we’re reading
Really mature
You may have heard that the age of 25 is a developmental milestone — the point at which a person’s brain becomes fully mature. It’s a popular idea that’s been cited as evidence in arguments about crime and punishment, gender-related health care, the younger generation’s failure to launch and even actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating life. But, as Jane C. Hu explains for Slate, the science behind this prevailing notion is complex: There’s some truth at its root, but every person’s brain is different and the takeaways from the research are far from clear.
Swipe to reveal
Historical documents are informative in and of themselves. But imagine if swabbing the pages could reveal unknown details about those who handled them. That’s a possibility two scientists say they have made a reality with a technique that lifts protein and other molecular remnants off archival material, Jo Marchant reports for Smithsonian Magazine. A letter written by Vlad Dracula, the personal effects of Jack London, a bible that may have belonged to Marco Polo are among the artifacts the duo has sampled — how they interpret their findings, however, has left some scholars uneasy and unconvinced.
A lobster menu
Lobster and crab are popular palate pleasers, but what do the crustaceans themselves crave? This question has gained importance as populations of traditional bait fish like mackerel and herring have declined. For Hakai Magazine, Moira Donovan talks with commercial fishers, neuroethologists and industry professionals trying to figure out alternative lobster and crab baits: Chicken? Shrimp? Seafood sausages? Researchers are sinking cameras in the sea to determine the most enticing eats, while harvesters investigate everything from mood lighting to moose meat.
Art & science
CREDIT: COURTESY GILBERTO ESPARZA. PHOTO: DARIO LASAGNI. COURTESY MIT LIST VISUAL ARTS CENTER
Power play
When the right bacteria and the right water come together, the combination can be electric, literally — the premise of microbial fuel cells is based on this interaction. As bacteria degrade organic matter, such as excrement circulating in wastewater, electrons are released. If an anode and a cathode are nearby, those electrons can generate power..
This process filters wastewater from 12 sites in greater Boston; the water is then fed into the orb, shown above, that harbors tiny crustaceans, microalgae and more. Assembled by artist Gilberto Esparza, the orb and its accompanying microbial fuel cells are suspended from the ceiling of the MIT List Visual Arts Center. The reactions inside Esparza’s piece encapsulate the broader exhibit on display.
Symbionts: Contemporary Artists and the Biosphere features work from over a dozen artists examining how humans and other forms of life shape one another. Alongside Esparza’s work, a multimedia installation by artist Špela Petrič documents her standing over sprouting cress for hours, her shadow shifting over the growing plants, while distilled urine feeds a proliferating fungus offered by artist Candice Lin. Ultimately, the artists take a back seat to their work, making the implicit obvious: As much as we might believe otherwise, humans don’t have the only hand in shaping the environment — or ourselves. You can see the exhibits and check in on their progress through February 26, 2023.
