World Nov 01 Climate change drives ancient Socotra dragon’s blood tree to brink of extinction By John Yang, Andrew Corkery
World Oct 19 Watch 3:00 Scientists study rare bloom in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth Wildflowers are blooming in the Atacama Desert, an inhospitable stretch of land west of the Andes Mountains that normally gets just 2 millimeters of rain every year. But this July and August, a rare alignment of conditions led to a… By William Brangham, Lorna Baldwin
Science Jan 12 Dreaming of spring gardening? Bees and other pollinators like a variety of flowers For those thinking ahead to spring gardening, a biologist explains what to focus on when designing a garden with pollinators in mind and what not to worry about. By Laura Russo, The Conversation
Science Aug 28 Yes, corn can sweat. And it may be why hot Midwestern summers are getting more humid Corn sweat is the process by which corn plants release moisture into the air to stay cool, and it brings the Midwest a surge in humidity every summer. Now, climate change and evolving agriculture are making the phenomenon even stickier. By Melina Walling, Associated Press
Health Jul 28 Watch 2:13 Meet the wild chimpanzees revealing the medicinal properties of plants to researchers Scientists are uncovering the healing power of plants with help from an unlikely source: chimpanzees. For years, researchers at the University of Oxford have taken samples of plants favored by injured wild chimps to learn about their medicinal properties. Sangeeta…
May 25 How humans learned to self-medicate with certain plants by observing animals By Adrienne Mayor, The Conversation The term zoopharmacognosy — meaning "animal medicine knowledge" — was invented in 1987, but humans have watched animals self-medicate for thousands of years and made medical discoveries along the way. Continue reading
Apr 07 Climate change is shifting plant growth zones. Here’s what to know for your garden this year By Matt Kasson, The Conversation As climate change warms the Earth, plant hardiness zones are shifting northward. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated its plant hardiness zone map, which shows where various plants will grow across the country. Continue reading
Feb 08 These pansies are evolving to rely less on pollinators. Here’s why that may spell trouble By Bella Isaacs-Thomas Pollinator populations have plummeted across the globe. In their absence, research has shown that flowering plants can evolve to rely more heavily on themselves to reproduce. Continue reading
Jan 26 How to make the perfect cup of tea, according to chemistry By Bella Isaacs-Thomas "Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea" author Michelle Francl spoke to PBS NewsHour about the chemistry that goes into making and flavoring tea, and how to wield this “science of change” to brew yourself the perfect cup. Continue reading
Apr 22 Watch 8:06 What it takes to save some of the world’s most threatened plant species By John Yang, Lorna Baldwin, Solveig Rennan According to scientists, 80 percent of the Earth’s living species are unknown to humans. Even as more are identified, more are disappearing — and sometimes, we don’t know what’s being lost until it’s too late. This Earth Day, we begin… Continue watching