Earth’s atmosphere has changed throughout our planet’s history, helping to regulate climate—but finding evidence for changes from billions of years ago remains a challenge. We may be able to learn about the composition of the atmosphere billions of years ago using tiny iron micrometeorites.

Coral reef islands are widely perceived as being vulnerable to erosion and flooding from sea-level rise and storms. This perception has led to a global debate about whether some atoll nations will be uninhabitable at the end of this century. Our research shows that reef island landforms are more resilient than previously assumed and provides a more encouraging outlook for adaptive management.

X-ray and radio observations of the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster revealed a “fossil” of a giant explosion that happened in its center several hundred million years ago. It is the most powerful known explosion in the Universe since the Big Bang. If such dinosaurs show up in low-frequency radio images of other clusters, they would shatter our current view of these massive objects.

Ongoing climate change is expected to increase aridity conditions in worldwide, particularly in drylands, the vastest biome on Earth. However, whether aridification will cause smooth or abrupt changes in ecosystems is unknown. In a new study we analyzed natural aridity gradients globally to respond this question. We found three phases of drastic ecosystem change as aridity increases.

Lithium-Sulfur battery can store more energy than the commonly-used Li-ion battery. But the high capacity of the Sulfur electrode causes it too much stress and it quickly breaks apart, in the same way we might when placed under stress. We engineered an open architecture, which gave sulfur particles space to breathe, thus stabilized the electrode, taking them closer to mass adoption.

The Ganges delta, covering two-thirds of Bangladesh, is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. It presents a challenge for climate change adaptation of nearly 200 million inhabitants. After analyzing more than a hundred water-level gauges, we found that sea-level could rise up to 140 cm by 2100, almost twice as high as previously thought and that is likely due to land subsidence.