A recent survey of 99 coral reefs found 500k species, which is kind of a lot. “The immense diversity of the microbes on the reefs may offer “ecological insurance” for coral, fish and other inhabitants, Pierre Galand, a researcher at […]
Adam Mastroianni might have discovered a new human bias. Then, he did something very rare in the scientific community: he self-published his research. Then he wrote this post explaining why peer review, “the greatest scientific experiment in history failed”. His […]
“Scientists have discovered a completely new branch on the tree of life. This “supergroup” contains an incredibly diverse range of predatory microbes that are extremely different genetically from any other form of life on Earth.” | learn more
This is the story of trees coming back to Niger after they were cleared to make way for orderly crops. It didn’t come about with a new planting initiative. Instead, the people stopped pulling out stumps and let them grow […]
“It is very counter-intuitive to see how “bad” ideas are in fact extremely valuable: not only do they highlight why the good ideas are better, but they also sometimes show that the “good” ideas are in fact wrong. Arguing that […]
“Radiant’s Kaleidos power generator will be an encapsulated, meltdown-proof core utilizing TRI-structural ISOtropic particle (TRISO) fuel, which the Office of Nuclear Energy claims to be “the most robust nuclear fuel on Earth”.” | learn more
The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. “While there is no specific fossil evidence of LUCA, it can be studied by comparing the genomes of all modern organisms, its […]
“The US Air Force is studying the feasibility of a process developed by tech company Twelve that could allow the manufacture of a carbon-neutral aviation fuel called E-Jet anywhere on Earth using only carbon dioxide from the air, water, and […]
“When you see a retaining wall in the wild, the job of holding back soil looks effortless. But that’s usually only true because much of the wall’s structure is hidden from view. A retaining wall is essentially a dam, except […]
“After so many decades of the buildup of high-speed clutter in the form of spent rocket stages, stray bolts and paint chips, solid-rocket-motor slag, dead or dying satellites and the scattered fragments from antisatellite tests—all of which could individually damage […]