Earth & Space
A prehistoric seawall to combat Mediterranean Sea-level rise
In November 2019, world media reported floods in Venice with the highest water levels in the region in more than 50 years (peaking at 1.87m above mean sea level). The mayor of Venice tweeted "These are the effects of climate change... the costs will be... click to read more
A natural close-up of a pierced galaxy 18 billion light-years away
Einstein's general theory of relativity predicted that gravity not only acts between two masses but also affects light which has no mass. We cannot see this effect in everyday life, but when light travels over vast intergalactic distances and is affected by the incredibly large... click to read more
The secrets hidden under the Antarctic ice sheet
The Antarctic ice sheet has been losing ice at an increasing rate. It remains unclear whether this mass loss will further accelerate over the coming decades. The continent of Antarctica is vast, bigger than the US and Mexico combined, and because it is so cold... click to read more
How many factors of global change affect soils
We often hear about how the warming climate is affecting the natural world around us. But the human-made global change is a tremendously more complicated problem than "just" a changing climate. It captures pollution, invasive species, biodiversity loss, excessive use of species or land, all... click to read more
Exploding bits of Bennu: adventures in asteroid exploration
Asteroids are ancient remnants from the dawn of the solar system. Locked inside these comparatively small objects are clues to enduring questions about planet formation and the origins of life. Most asteroids orbit between Mars and Jupiter, in the main asteroid belt. Occasionally, an encounter... click to read more
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