Biochar, a charcoal-like material derived from plant biomass, has long been hailed as a promising tool for carbon dioxide removal. However, a new study by Stanford researchers highlights a critical issue: current methods for assessing biochar’s carbon storage potential may significantly undervalue its true environmental benefits. Biochar, a charcoal-like material derived from plant biomass, has long…

How far would leaf-eating insects go to dine on their favorite food? Perhaps the other side of the world, according to researchers at Penn State who found insect damage on fossil leaves from South America that is nearly identical to what is seen today on those trees’ living relatives in Australia. How far would leaf-eating insects…

SETI scientists evaluate the maximum distance of detectability for various present-day Earth technosignatures — radio transmissions, atmospheric technosignatures, optical and infrared signatures, and objects in space or on planetary surfaces — using only present-day Earth instruments. The post At What Distance Could Earth’s Radio Signals Be Detected with Modern Technology? Up To 12,000 Light-Years Away,…

As part of a broad effort to bypass Congress and unilaterally cut government spending, the Trump administration has all but shut down operations at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the independent federal body that delivers humanitarian aid and economic development funding around the world. On his first day in office, President Trump…