
An Autonomous Logging Machine Could Make Forestry Safer
Forestry is deadly. Could automating some logging tasks help?
Susan Cosier is a freelance journalist focused on science and the environment. She is based in Chicago. Follow Cosier on Twitter @susancosier

An Autonomous Logging Machine Could Make Forestry Safer
Forestry is deadly. Could automating some logging tasks help?

To Predict Snowfall, NASA Planes Fly into the Storm
Cloud-diving expeditions reveal the hidden physics of brewing snowstorms

Scientists Sequence DNA from a 3,000-Year-Old Brick
A chunk of a Mesopotamian palace revealed genes from dozens of ancient plants

New Models Could Predict Climate Change Effects with Unprecedented Detail
Scientists have proposed a network of supercomputing centers that would focus on local climate impacts

New Chemical Process Offers Hope for Mixed-Plastics Recycling
A molecular additive allows different kinds of plastic to be recycled together

Here’s How to Use Window Films to Actually Protect Birds
Bird-strike-deterrent window films don’t work if they’re placed on the indoor side

Oyster Mushroom Venom Kills Roundworms—So the Mushrooms Can Feast
A volatile compound makes nematodes food for oyster mushrooms

Saving Coral Reefs with Dental Tech
Dental scanners could help researchers diagnose stressed-out baby corals

Drones Sample Rare Specimens from Cliffs and Other Dangerous Places
Flying robots help researchers identify and protect threatened plants and other species in places that are inaccessible to humans

See Which Countries Have the Most Interconnected Wildlife Preserves
Reducing human threats could unlock important connections between protected animal habitats

Marine Microbe Lures Prey into Custom Slime Traps
These organisms’ private “mucospheres” play an outsize role in the planet’s carbon cycle

How Countries ‘Import’ and ‘Export’ Extinction Risk around the World
A recent study puts a number to how much our consumption imperils threatened species

Desert Plants’ Adaptations Help Them Thrive
Genes found in the flora could help crops and biofuels survive more drastic extremes

Movie-Making Tech Reveals Elephant Trunk Motions
The pachyderms build simple actions into complex movements

Listening to a Story Helps Hospitalized Kids Heal
Story time reduced pain and stress

Plant Absorbs Toxic RDX Contamination
Modified switchgrass can sop up weapons chemicals on military ranges

Narwhal Tusks Point to Changing Arctic Conditions
Pollutants have increased, and prey has changed, as the water warms, a chemical analysis of tusks shows

Ecologists Saved Bald Eagles with Helicopter Parenting
One of the country’s largest captive-breeding programs for the once endangered species has helped it recover in California

Wildfire Recovery Aided with Planting Model
A new tool can help land managers focus their efforts to restore forests

DNA Finds Pollutants in Green-Glowing Water Test
Bacteria inspire a new pollution-monitoring setup

Lidar Advances Show Mosquito Rush Hours
New research shows how a laser-based system can help detect mosquito movements

Strongest Evidence Yet Shows Air Pollution Kills
The finding comes as the Trump administration has been rolling back clean air regulations

How to Dramatically Curb Extinction
A new model suggests a way to save half of tropical species

New Process Could Provide More Sustainable Plastic Production
A common component of plastics could come from existing carbon sources