Pollution

The decrease in lightning coincided with a drop in human activities that send aerosols into the atmosphere.
Will Sullivan, Staff Writer
A new study can help the city plant better trees.
Krystal Vasquez, Contributor
First-of-its-kind study shows how human-generated sound could harm the ability of seagrass to store energy and detect gravity.
Karen Kwon, Contributor
New research shows how oil spills and their cleanup harm water striders, raising questions about the broader ecological impacts of even small spills.
Brian Owens, Contributor
Bacteria found around a Brazilian mine could improve copper harvesting.
Joshua Learn, Contributor
Researchers found fewer tree seedlings on noisy plots in a pinyon-juniper woodland, likely because the sound drove away animals that disperse seeds.
Nala Rogers, Staff Writer
The curved barriers would deflect air pollution away from pedestrians and provide a scaffold for plants to "green" a city.
Tom Metcalfe, Contributor
Milk proteins grown in the laboratory could be a more sustainable alternative to the cow’s udder, but the science behind it is still maturing.
Benjamin Plackett, Contributor
Pollution estimates in India highlight the need for some countries to more closely monitor the problem in nonurban areas.
Benjamin Plackett, Contributor
Researchers converted a plastic bag and bottle cap into a type of chemical used in pharmaceuticals, detergents, paints and other products.
Charles Q. Choi, Contributor
The animals' bodies contained pollutants not found in dolphins before.
Joel Shurkin, Contributor
A month’s worth of cool science stories, summed up
Alistair Jennings, Contributor