Climate (Page 4)

In heat wave-like temperatures, coast redwoods’ photosynthesis slows down, which may put one of Earth’s most efficient carbon storers in jeopardy., Read MoreContinue Reading

The Sierra Nevada mountain range in California is as stunning as it is diverse, with storms from the Pacific Ocean dumping rain and snow on the range’s western slopes while arid conditions mark much of its eastern face. David Des Marais, MIT’s Amgen Career Development Associate Professor, knows the mountainsContinue Reading

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station photographed a remarkable formation in Madagascar that looks surprisingly similar to the Moon’s bright highlands. Made of anorthosite, a rock abundant on the lunar surface, the formation dates back at least 600 million years and bears the scars of ancient continental collisions., ReadContinue Reading

The world needs more homes. The world also has too much plastic. Perhaps the only thing those two problems have in common is that they’re hard to solve. Atlas Building Composites, a spinout of MIT, is on a mission to address both problems with a single solution. The company hasContinue Reading

As sea levels rise due to climate change, encroaching sea water will likely make freshwater environments saltier. In a new study, MIT researchers have shown how that increase in salinity might affect microbial ecosystems found in environments such as rivers and estuaries. These microbial communities play important roles in theContinue Reading

Scientists have uncovered a surprising secret behind a mushroom disease that has frustrated growers for more than a century: It involves more than 17 species of harmful bacteria, not just one. The discovery could explain why treatments have struggled to stop the disease and open the door to more effective,Continue Reading