Scripps researcher Kerri Pratt with aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ATOFMS) aboard a specially outfitted C-130 aircraft operated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the skies over Wyoming. Scripps-led researchers made the first direct detections of airborne bacteria in clouds aboard the aircraft, and reported the results in the May 17 online edition of [...]

Paint it white: Health chiefs say to stay cool we should adopt the same measures as homeowners in Mediterranean countries such as Greece It’s a tried and tested way of keeping homes cool in Mediterranean countries. But many might feel the latest official advice is just a little bit over the top for Britain, where [...]

Komodo dragons kill using a one-two punch of sharp teeth and a venomous bite, scientists have confirmed for the first time. The find dispels the common belief that toxic bacteria in the Komodos’ mouths are responsible for ultimately killing the dragons’ prey. An animal that escapes a Komodo’s initial attack soon weakens and dies. The [...]

Northern hemisphere sea levels ‘will rise the most’ if Antarctic sheet disintegrates The melting of one of the world’s largest ice sheets would alter the Earth’s field of gravity and even its rotation in space so much that it would cause sea levels along some coasts to rise faster than the global average, scientists said [...]

At least one in ten species of dragonfly and damselfly are threatened with extinction, according to the first world survey of their numbers. The figure may be an underestimate as so little is known about many species. However, the news is not all bad. The survey published in Biological Conservation is the first to assess [...]