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Nature
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As grandiose as we might think our civilizations have become, we are but the latest entry in the long chronicle detailing life on Earth. We humans share this planet with fellow organisms whose vast numbers completely tower over our own. We borrowed this planet from its previous inhabitants from eons ago and whose lives were written on the soil-turned-rock on which they were laid to rest. Modern Sciences urges its readers to contemplate our planetary co-inhabitants, both past and present.
How moss could help roads cope with heavy rain and reduce air pollution
Moss grows slowly and absorbs air pollution. Herzstaub/Shutterstock Pedram Vousoughi, University of Limerick Across Europe, many banks alongside…
What was the very first plant in the world?
Once plants really got a foothold, they transformed our planet. Albert Fertl/Moment via Getty Images Erin Potter, Binghamton…
Cacti may help explain a centuries‑old mystery of evolution
Jamie Thompson, University of Reading This question of why some branches of the tree of life explode into…
What’s it like to be a bat? Scientists develop new solution to the puzzle of animal minds
Graham Holtshausen/Unsplash Cristina Luz Wilkins, University of New England; Amy Lykins, University of New England; Cathrynne Henshall, Charles…
The bacteria killing sea stars in the Pacific: How our team uncovered a decade‑long mystery
A sunflower sea star in Knight Inlet on the British Columbia coast. (Grant Callegari/Hakai Institute) Melanie Prentice, University…
Sea level doesn’t rise at the same rate everywhere – we mapped where Antarctica’s ice melt would have the biggest impact
Sea-level rise changes coastlines, putting homes at risk, as Summer Haven, Fla., has seen. Aerial Views/E+/Getty Images Shaina…
Can African penguins be brought back from the brink? Better designed no‑fishing zones could help
Jacqui Glencross, University of St Andrews South Africa is home to 88% of the world’s colonies of African…
The brilliant and bizarre ways birds use their sense of smell – from natural cologne to pest control
Blue tits sniff out herbs to line their nests with. taviphoto/Shutterstock Joey Baxter, University of Sheffield When we…
Deep in the Amazon, I discovered this monkey’s ingenious survival tactic
The red-nosed cuxiu is endangered. Cavan-Images/Shutterstock Adrian Barnett, University of Greenwich Look down at the rainforest floor. Rotting…
Some glaciers can suddenly surge forward – with dangerous consequences
The surging Scheelebreen glacier in Svalbard advances into the frozen fjord, April 2022. Erik Schytt Mannerfelt, CC BY…