Column One – The Los Angeles Times
Ocean robots take the pulse of our planet by measuring microbes
It looks like a trashcan bobbing in the waters off the California coast. But it’s hardly garbage. In fact, it…
Bones pulled from the La Brea Tar Pits show the perils of being a picky eater
Multiple species of saber-toothed cats went extinct about 10,000 years ago while coyotes survived — becoming the apex predators famous…
Everything you need to know about toxic algae blooms
Green pond scum floating on a lake is not just unsightly. As animal lovers have learned the hard way, it…
Gender gap in STEM fields could be due to girls’ reading skills, not math ability
Why don’t more girls grow up to become scientists and engineers? It’s not that they’re bad at math, a new…
210,000-year-old skull in Greece is earliest sign of modern humans in Europe or Asia
Around 210,000 years ago, an early human died in southern Greece — leaving scientists with the earliest evidence of human…
Trees could reduce carbon in the atmosphere to levels not seen in nearly 100 years
By removing carbon dioxide from the air, trees are one of our strongest allies in the fight against climate change.…
Archaeologists have a new way to unlock the secrets of ancient burned bones
Ancient bones, burned beyond repair, have been given new life to tell their stories, thanks to beams of neutrons. Using…
Marathon runners get a boost from the bacteria in their guts
The secret to a healthier life may lie in the guts of elite athletes. Scientists who studied marathon runners discovered…
Experiment with ‘lost’ wallets reveals that people are surprisingly honest
They say honesty is the best policy — and now there’s scientific evidence to prove it. An unconventional study that…
