Climate Change
Fungi Might Have Helped Drag the Planet Out of Its ‘Snowball Earth’ Phase
Nearly a billion years ago, the planet was almost wholly encased in thousands of feet of ice—and then, somehow, it emerged
Stories by Jennifer Frazer
Biology
One Head, 1,000 Rear Ends: The Tale of a Deeply Weird Worm
Ramisyllis multicaudata is an animal that seems to have adopted the lifestyle of a fungus
Biology
Can a Cell Remember?
Surprisingly, there’s some evidence that it can
Biology
Can a Cell Make Decisions?
A series of experiments shows, remarkably, that it just might
Biology
How a Carnivorous Mushroom Poisons Its Prey
Scientists have known for decades that oyster mushrooms feasted on roundworms—and they’ve finally figured out how their toxins work
Biology
Bacteria in 100-Million-Year-Old Seafloor Sediment Have Been Resuscitated
Could bacteria be effectively immortal?
Public Health
Tsunami May Have Seeded a Fungal Outbreak in Pacific Northwest
A bold hypothesis could account for the perplexing presence of multiple fungi
Biology
If It Smells like Dirt, Fire Ants Are Interested
For these swarming, stinging insects, it’s the aroma of home sweet home
Biology
Viruses Can Be Delicious as Well as Deadly
They’re not exempt from participation in the food web
Biology
The Moss That Lives under a Rock
If you lived in a desert, you’d probably want to live under a rock, too
Electronics
Mining Rare-Earth Elements from Fossilized Fish
Strange as it might seem, a 2,500-square-kilometer zone south of one tiny Pacific island could supply four substances that are crucial to modern electronics for centuries
Biology
The Brittle Star That Sees with Its Body
It turns out that eyes aren’t necessary for vision
Biology
Farewell, Amoeba Fans
This blog, though not its author, reaches the end of the line
Biology
Contagious Amoeba Vampirizes Gum Cells [Video]
An amoeba spread by respiratory droplets, kisses and eating utensils may be a serious (and creepy) gum disease pathogen
Biology
Scientists Waited Two and a Half Years to See whether Bacteria Can Eat Rock
The mystery of dirt’s origins is a thorny experimental problem
Biology
Dirt Doesn’t Smell like Dirt
It smells like bacteria. But why?
Biology
Travel Down a Borehole into Antarctica's Lake Mercer [Video]
Beautiful new footage ventures into a lake that is among the most remote on earth
Feast Your Eyes on Australia’s Newly Explored Depths [Video]
Take a few moments to enjoy stalked barnacles, googly-eyed glass squid and other oddities of the deep, where it is cold, dark and 100 percent coronavirus free
Biology
Marine Microbe Performs Animal Trick
A cup of cells can both bend and “see,” feats rarely seen outside of animals
Evolution
Slime Molds Have Been Oozing around Earth for at Least 100 Million Years
Stunning new fossil reveals that at least one Cretaceous slime mold—an “intelligent” giant amoeba—looks identical to one alive today
