Early hunter-gatherers interacted much sooner than previously believed
A nearly 4,000-year-old burial site found off the coast of Georgia hints at ties between hunter-gatherers on opposite sides of North America, according to new research.
Read moreSustainability
How to make conservation initiatives more contagious
New research shows conservation initiatives often spread like diseases, helping scientists and policymakers design programmes more likely to be taken up.
Read moreThe benefits of updating agricultural drainage infrastructure
The massive underground infrastructure that allows farmers to cultivate crops on much of the world's most productive land has outlived its design life and should be updated, according to a new study. Installing higher-capacity pipes and conservation practices would yield a wide range of production and environmental benefits.
Read moreGrouping 'smart cities' into types may help aspiring city planners find a path
A comparative analysis of 'smart cities' worldwide reveals four distinct types, according to researchers. The categories may help city planners to identify and emulate models that are close to their own socio-economic circumstances and policy aspirations.
Read moreSeagrass meadows harbor wildlife for centuries, highlighting need for conservation
Seagrass meadows put down deep roots, persisting in the same spot for hundreds and possibly thousands of years, a new study shows. Researchers used modern and fossil shells from seagrass-dwelling animals to estimate the age of these meadows, showing that, far from being transient patches of underwater weeds, they are remarkably stable over time.
Read moreEnvironmental toxins impair immune system over multiple generations
New research shows that maternal exposure to a common and ubiquitous form of industrial pollution can harm the immune system of offspring and that this injury is passed along to subsequent generations, weakening the body's defenses against infections such as the influenza virus.
Read moreHow sustainable is tuna? New global catch database exposes dangerous fishing trends
Scientists have found that global tuna catches have increased over 1,000 per cent in the past six decades, fueled by a massive expansion of industrial fisheries.
Read moreCoastal living linked with better mental health
Researchers used survey data from nearly 26,000 respondents in their analysis, which marks one of the most detailed investigations ever into the well-being effects of being beside the sea. After taking other related factors into account, the study revealed that living in large towns and cities near to England's coastline is linked with better mental health for those in the lowest earning households.
Read moreUrban agriculture can push the sustainability
A group of researchers assessed how urban agriculture can help Phoenix meet its sustainability goals.
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