How modern technology is inspired by the natural world
Aug 21, 2017 07:11 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology Nature
What do a kingfisher, cocklebur pods and a Namibian beetle have in common? Besides being living organisms, they have all served as inspiration for creative human technologies to solve challenging problems. The...
There may be a huge flaw in UK fracking hopes – the geology
Aug 17, 2017 15:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Gas is hugely important to the UK. The country uses over 65 billion cubic metres to heat most of its 25m homes and generate around a quarter of its electricity each year. Despite efforts to move to renewable energy sources...
Why flooding in Nigeria is an increasingly serious problem
Aug 15, 2017 14:34 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Earlier this year heavy rains and thunderstorms caused havoc in Lagos, Nigerias economic nerve centre and one of Africas most populous cities. Residents woke up in many parts of the city to find their streets and homes...
Cities need more than air conditioning to get through heat waves
Aug 08, 2017 14:48 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
In May of this year, a hot spell broiled Boston. In June, extreme temperatures grounded Phoenixs planes. Last week, Seattle suffered under record temperatures. When a heat wave is forecast, the standard advice is to...
Trying to keep nature the same is a fool's errand – we should embrace change
Aug 02, 2017 17:13 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
When it comes to deciding which plants and animals to protect and which to remove, our approach might make even the most forthright nationalist blush if it were ever applied to people. The central question in the UK and...
Rising carbon dioxide is making the world's plants more water-wise
Jul 25, 2017 14:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
Land plants are absorbing 17% more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere now than 30 years ago, our research published today shows. Equally extraordinarily, our study also shows that the vegetation is hardly using any extra...
Using forests to manage carbon: a heated debate
Jul 25, 2017 14:40 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature
The best way of managing trees and forests for climate change and accounting for contributions of forests and forestry activities in carbon budgets remains hotly contested. Forests can either take up carbon dioxide (CO₂)...
South Africa’s plan to move away from coal: 8 steps to make it succeed
Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections
IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects