Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 31, 2016

Photos: Take a Tour of Maine's Spectacular Acadia National Park

Colorful view (Image credit: NPS)Acadia National Park is located in the farnortheastern corner of Maine. During certain months of the year, a few mountain peaks of Acadia receive the first rays of morning sun in the United States. The landscape found here is considered to be one of the most...

May 31, 2016

What Are Algae?

Algae are a diverse group of aquatic organisms that have the ability to conduct photosynthesis. Certain algae are familiar to most people; for instance, seaweeds (such as kelp or phytoplankton), pond scum or the algal blooms in lakes. However, there exists a vast and varied world of algae that are...

May 31, 2016

Why Rescues in Antarctica Are a Dangerous Business

Winter in Antarctica is lonely. Each year, only a handful of people stay on the continent to keep research stations running. They're mostly on their own — even if they're suddenly grappling with a medical issue. On occasion, though, a serious medical event requires a rescue attempt. The latest is...

Apr 30, 2016

Photos: A Cambrian Larva With a 'Daggerlike' Tail

Modeled in 3D (Image credit: Yu Liu et al.)A fossil of an arthropod larva estimated to be 520 million years old was found in Chengjiang, China. Preserved in three dimensions, it provided researchers with an unprecedented level of detail for describing the creature's body. In this image, 3D models rendered...

Mar 31, 2016

Why Do So Many Earthquakes Strike Japan?

A magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck southern Japan today, less than two days after a 6.2-magnitude temblor rocked the same region, triggering tsunami advisories in the area. The most recent earthquake struck the Kumamoto region on Japan's Kyushu Island early Saturday (April 16) at 1:25 a.m. local time (12:25 p.m. ET on...

Mar 31, 2016

Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell Funny?

Ah, the aromas of spring. The clean scent of freshly mown grass. The sweet fragrance of lilacs in bloom. But what's causing that sulfurous smell from your urine after eating one of the season's earliest vegetables? It's asparagus, of course. Just what is it that gives asparagus pee that pungent...

Mar 31, 2016

Earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador Aren't Related: Here's Why

They may have happened within days of one another, but the devastating earthquakes in Japan had nothing to do with the strong temblor that struck Ecuador over the weekend, experts say. Both Japan and Ecuador are located along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which spans the coasts lining the...

Mar 31, 2016

Google Celebrates National Park Week with Virtual Views

It's National Park Week, but for anyone who is stuck indoors and can't hit the road, Google is making it easy to virtually visit many of America's treasures. Google Street View and Google Cultural Institute have teamed up to showcase U.S. national parks and historic sites on one easy-to-navigate web...

Mar 31, 2016

Massive Coral Reef Discovered in the Amazon River

Scientists have discovered a huge coral reef system lurking beneath the muddy waters of the Amazon. The network of coral reefs, which is about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) long and is home to a hidden ecosystem of colorful and bizarre creatures, was found at the mouth of the Amazon River,...

Mar 31, 2016

Earth Gets Greener as Globe Gets Hotter

The excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has created a greener planet, a new NASA study shows. Around the world, areas that were once icebound, barren or sandy are now covered in green foliage. All told, carbon emissions have fueled greening in an area about twice the size of the...

Feb 29, 2016

Surfers Invent Floating Trash Bin to Clean Up World's Oceans

Two Australian surfers are trying to tackle the planet's water pollution problem head-on, by developing a device that functions as an automated floating trash bin for the world's oceans. The device, called the Seabin, can be placed in the water, attached to a floating dock in a marina, and is...

Feb 29, 2016

Arctic Sea Ice Is at Near Record Lows, NASA Says

The ice covering the Arctic is at near record lows this year, and this icy deficit may impact weather around the world, NASA reports. Every March, the Arctic's sea ice reaches its maximum cover, both in area and thickness, before it recedes to its yearly minimum in September. Live Science...

Jan 31, 2016

What Scalia's Death Means For Climate Change

Just days after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling clouded the future of a new United Nations climate pact, the passing of one of its justices has boosted the pact's chances of succeeding. Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia died at a resort in Texas on Saturday. Scalia, 79, was the court's...

Jan 31, 2016

Bluish Hued Supermoon Dazzles Over Italy (Photo)

A turquoise light tints the blood moon in this stunning skywatcher shot from Pisa, Italy. Astrophotographer Giuseppe Petricca took this image about two minutes prior to the start of the full totality phase of the supermoon total lunar eclipse on Sept. 27, 2015. The total lunar eclipse of Sept. 27,...

Jan 31, 2016

Vermilion Cliffs: Awe-Inspiring Photos of Canyons of the American West

Untouched by humans (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher)The Vermilion Cliffs of southern Utah and northern Arizona are one of the more isolated and undisturbed regions of the Colorado Plateau. These cliffs make up the second step of the so-called Grand Staircase of the Colorado Plateau — a geological...