However, the first farmers in the Amazon used sustainable practices, unlike modern agriculture in the region.
Climate change is set to increase ‘giant forest’ cover around the world
The ecological niche for giant trees like Redwoods could grow by a staggering 4 million square kilometers.
Scientists finally learn why cracking knuckles makes that annoying sound
That sound! Hate it or love it — but at least we know what causes it.
Autism rates have plateaued in U.S. children since 2014
We don’t know exactly why.
Space radiation might cause bone loss in astronauts
Radiation amplifies the bone loss incurred from weightlessness.
The types of clouds: everything you need to know
Clouds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some look cute and fluffy, others appear menacing and apocalyptic.
Scientists decode complex sentences with ‘mind reading’ tech
The mind is not the closed book we think it is.
Himalayan Sherpas owe their super-human high-altitude performance to a unique metabolism
Nepalese Sherpas use oxygen more efficiently than puny lowlanders.
Mainstream US broadcast networks decrease climate change coverage time by 66 percent to only 50 minutes. For a whole year!
How much time is the climate worth to you?
Muscle-like fabric could turn regular clothes into ‘Superman suits’
The fibers could be woven in clothes so those who have disabilities can enhance their mobility.
Why worms can actually taste sunshine
A photoreceptor related to odor proteins was found inside the worms — it could lead to a new generation of better sunscreens.
Colours and language — how the two influence each other
There are as many colours as you can name. In some cultures, like Africa’s Himba tribe, they can only name five colours, for instance.
Chile just signed the cheapest unsubsidized power in the world at ¢2.91/kWh. Of course, it’s solar energy
There are absolutely no subsidies which means this is the cheapest power plant in the world.
Cassini finds canyons flooded with liquid hydrocarbons on Titan
NASA’s ever-resourceful Cassini probe found steep-sided canyons on Saturn’s moon Titan.
Flossing might be useless: little evidence showing it keeps teeth and gums healthy
Have we been living a lie all this time?
Why we get dark circles around the eyes
Fatigue is often what causes dark circles around the eyes, but there’s more to it.
Early childhood stunting costs developing countries $177 billion/year
Developing countries stand to lose $177 billion each year or about half a percentage point of GDP due to delays in the physical development of children.
Can this planet survive humans 50 years from now?
Let’s face it — we haven’t taken care of this planet as well as we should.
Caffeine is essentially useless after three sleep-deprived nights
After only three nights of sleeping five hours or less, caffeine stops working.
Vaccines work: only 15 polio cases in 2016. In 2020 it should be eradicated
The wild poliovirus is about to go extinct. In 2015, only 74 new cases were reported or 80 percent less than in 2015. Furthermore, these cases were contained in two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.