On Mars, the Perseverance rover did something unusual to uncover hidden secrets. Instead of drilling or scraping, it pressed down on a pile of rock fragments, flattening them out. This simple act revealed important clues about the planet's past. The rover's SHERLOC instrument, which analyzes mineral
In the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a remarkable experiment unfolded. A national program shook things up by giving villages money for better latrines and water systems. But that was just the start. The program also aimed to boost local leadership and encourage better hygiene habits.
Imagine tiny iron atoms working together to clean up water. These atoms are connected by sulfur bridges, which help them stay close and work efficiently. The sulfur bridges change how the iron atoms bond with other molecules, making them better at breaking down harmful substances in water. Iron ato
Pregnancy is a time when the body needs more water. This is true even without considering the extra demands of physical activity and hot weather. When a pregnant woman is physically active, her body needs even more water. This is especially true when she is exercising in hot weather. This is beca
The world's hunger for gold is growing, but the Earth's supply is running low. This has sparked a race to find new ways to get gold, like recycling old electronics and pulling it from seawater. But there's a big problem: finding a way to pull out tiny amounts of gold from messy water mixtures is sup
Imagine this: tiny, super-absorbent sponges that can soak up harmful medicines from our water. These aren't your average sponges; they're called metal organic frameworks, or MOFs for short. Scientists have been busy figuring out how to use these MOFs to get rid of ibuprofen and naproxen, two common
Imagine a sunny vineyard near the Mediterranean Sea. This is where scientists kept a close eye on grapevines to understand how they handle water. They tracked three key signs of vine water status: how fast the vines grew, how much water was in the leaves before dawn, and the carbon makeup of the gra
The world of fungi is vast and fascinating, often overlooked in favor of more visible organisms. Among these, the genus Basidiobolus stands out. This group of fungi is incredibly diverse, living in various environments from the guts of animals to decomposing leaves, and even causing infections in hu
Imagine turning cow poop and wheat straw into super-fertile compost. Sounds gross, right? But it's actually a big deal for farmers. The problem is, these materials are packed with lignocellulose, a tough stuff that's hard to break down. So, scientists tried something new: adding tiny bubbles of diff
Waterborne bacteria are a big deal for public health. They can cause infections, and some of them are resistant to antibiotics. This makes them even more dangerous. Scientists have created a model to understand how these bacteria spread in recreational water and how they can cause urinary tract infe
