Agriculture

New Research

How One Crop Allowed Humans to Conquer the Himalaya

Hardy barley enabled us to survive at altitudes that were previously beyond reach

November 21, 2014

We’re Running Out of Chocolate

We’re eating so much chocolate that plants can’t keep up

November 17, 2014

Holy Smokes! Tobacco May Fuel Planes in the Future

The seeds from a new type of tobacco plant grown in South Africa release an oil that can be made into biofuel

November 12, 2014

Trending Today

It’s Still Possible to Stop the Worst of Climate Change

Say so long to fossil fuels

November 3, 2014

Cool Finds

How the Gates Foundation Is Making Cassava the Next Corn

Sophisticated plant breeding techniques (but no GMOs) and lots of money are aimed at improving this staple crop of the tropics

October 24, 2014

Halloween

How to Grow a Giant Pumpkin

Science!

October 24, 2014

Trending Today

Even West Africans Who Don’t Catch Ebola Are Being Hurt By the Disease

Ebola’s toll is more than just a body count

October 20, 2014

Cool Finds

Instead of Growing Meat in a Lab, Why Not Make It Out of Plants?

“Plant blood” is the secret behind the I-can’t-believe-it-isn’t-meat company, Impossible Foods

October 10, 2014

New Research

Pollution From Hawaii Is Giving Sea Turtles Gross, Deadly Tumors

Nitrogen runoff gets into the turtles’ food and causes tumors on their faces, flippers and organs

October 2, 2014

Anthropocene

Six Weird Ways Humans Are Altering the Planet

From deep holes to flying sheep, some signs of human activity might really perplex geologists in the far future

September 30, 2014

Trending Today

The USDA Approved a New GM Crop to Deal With Problems Created by the Old GM Crops

Weeds became resistant to the herbicide partner of older genetically modified crops

September 25, 2014

New Research

Once Mexico Had a Wealth of Corn; Now It’s Left With a Genetically Boring Monocrop

This lack of diversity does not bode well for food sustainability and economics in light of climate change

September 5, 2014

The Best and Worst Places to Build More Roads

Road works today are “basically chaos”—but a new global road map could be key to protecting agriculture and nature

August 27, 2014

New Research

Scientists Are Hacking Tomatoes To Make Them Keep Growing All Night Long

Geneticists are working to circumvent the tomato’s circadian rhythm

August 21, 2014

Art Meets Science

These Sculptures of Giant Tomatoes Are Ripe For the Picking

What physical traits do humans find desirable? Artist Jessica Rath looks in her grocery store’s produce section for answers

August 20, 2014

Google Thinks These 18 Teenagers Will Change the World

The global finalists of this year’s Google Science Fair take on cyberbullying countermeasures, tar sands cleanup and wearable tech

August 8, 2014

New Research

Fish Oil Could (One Day) Come From Plants

A field trial of genetically modified oilseed plants that can make fish oil hopes to help fish farming become more sustainable

August 5, 2014

Cool Finds

Japan’s Massive Indoor Farm Produces 10,000 Heads of Fresh Lettuce Every Day

The innovative farming solution could help cut down on food waste

July 23, 2014

New Research

Raising Beef Uses Ten Times More Resources Than Poultry, Dairy, Eggs or Pork

If you want to help the planet but can’t bring yourself to give up meat entirely, eliminating beef from your diet is the next-best thing

July 21, 2014

New Research

This New Carbon Capture Project Turns Carbon Dioxide Into Fish Food

A Norwegian project hopes to reduce both pollution and lessen pressure on krill stocks

July 17, 2014