Environmental Science

Scientists are hoping two enzymes are the key to breaking down huge amounts of plastic.

By Jesslyn Shields

Many scientists believe that humans influence Earth at a rate so massive that a change to the geologic time scale is in order.

By Mark Mancini

Global warming and climate change are terms often treated like synonyms, but they have different meanings. We'll explain the difference and why both are so important to know.

By Mark Mancini

EXXpedition founder Emily Penn will captain the 300, all-female crew in its first Round the World sailing voyage.

By Patty Rasmussen

The city is planning to be 50 percent greenspace by 2050. Who says you can't take the Tube to a pub in the middle of a national park?

By Jesslyn Shields

Cobalt is associated with the color blue, but it's so needed for rechargeable batteries that the U.S. put it on the list of minerals it can't live without.

By Dave Roos

The tree that survived three major extinction events on Earth might be key in helping us understand the climate crisis ahead.

By Jesslyn Shields

In Africa's Ivory Coast, a group of women saw a need and came together to collect plastic for recycling into bricks to build schools.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Not only do bug zappers mostly kill beneficial insects, they also can serve you up a side of bacteria with your burger.

By Chris Opfer

It's perhaps one of the strangest fossils ever discovered. We'll explain how it came to be 15 million years ago, and how hikers found it in the '30s.

By Mark Mancini

What's as strong as steel but half the weight; able to live in almost any body part and an important part of both airplanes and cake frosting? Would you believe, titanium?

By Dave Roos

Many scientists say that the response to climate change will require planting new trees. A whole lot of them.

By Tara Yarlagadda

Joshua trees can live for up to 300 years, but climate change is threatening their very survival.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Permafrost across the globe is rapidly melting. What could this mean for the future of the planet?

By Mark Mancini

The world has only had time zones since the late 1800s. Some people think we should eliminate them and have just one universal time instead.

By Patrick J. Kiger

This white-hot metal not only makes beautiful jewelry, it's coveted for industrial, medical and military purposes too.

By Alia Hoyt

The U.S. is full of exceptional geological formations. But these five set the bar high as far as landmarks go.

By Mark Mancini

You can see these rocky formations in the Badlands of Nebraska, and they're as awe-inspiring as they are eerie.

By Mark Mancini

Cross seas may looks super cool. But you never want to get caught up in the grid-patterned waves they generate.

By John Perritano

Each year, Earth sees two equinoxes and two solstices. But how much do you actually know about these events? Take the quiz and find out!

By Alia Hoyt

If fettuccine rock exists on Mars, it would suggest the existence of microbial life there.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Everyone loves foraging for seashells at the beach, but the true jackpot is finding a perfect unbroken sand dollar. However, taking one home may not be such a good idea.

By Alia Hoyt

Water surrounds us, falling from the sky and pouring from faucets, and yet many of us never ask where it comes from. The answer stretches way back — before tides and thunderclouds to the big bang.

By Jonathan Atteberry & Ian O'Neill, Ph.D.

The Mushroom Burial Suit is designed to give our dead bodies new life by breaking them down and nourishing the soil.

By Jesslyn Shields

To honor their prehistoric pasts, most U.S. states have designated official state fossils, ranging from trilobites to dinosaurs. Take our quiz to learn more!

By Mark Mancini