Science & Nature

Can Fig Trees Help Us Adapt To A Changing Climate?

Can Fig Trees Help Us Adapt To A Changing Climate?

Tunisia, where figs are one of the signature crops, has been an integral part of a just-concluded Mediterranean research project, FIGGEN, to assess how the trees thrive while climate changes are causing other crops to fail. For nearly four years scientists have worked to identify specific genetic traits that enable figs’ resilience and which varieties cope best with heat and drought. When FIGGEN publishes the results, farmers concerned for their future livelihoods may choose to grow the most promising types. Additionally, the study aims to plant a seed for preserving the biodiversity of increasingly arid ecosystems.
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Drones, Mangroves and Carbon Superpowers

Drones, Mangroves and Carbon Superpowers

Mangroves have been drawing increasing global attention for a quiet superpower: the ability to store up to five times more carbon than tropical forests. While coastal development, uncontrolled aquaculture, sea-level rise and warming temperatures have all contributed to the 35 percent decline in mangrove forests worldwide since the 1970s, government agencies, scientists and local communities are increasingly rallying to protect and replant mangroves. One group is taking restoration to notably new heights.
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Pistachios' History of Graft

Pistachios' History of Graft

Stimulated most recently by nutrition studies and marketing, pistachios are more available worldwide than ever. But today’s efforts are possible only thanks to patient bioengineering some 3,000 years ago.
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The Return of the Karabakh Horse

The Return of the Karabakh Horse

Strength, speed and a lustrous coat made the Karabakh horse a symbol of status, power and beauty in its native Azerbaijan, and beyond. Wars over the past century nearly eliminated them, but now breeders are steadily restoring their numbers.
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Ibn al-Haytham: Testing is Believing

Ibn al-Haytham: Testing is Believing

Joining math, physics and real-world tests, Abu 'Ali al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham, who worked in 10th-century Iraq, pioneered not only optics but also empirical science itself.
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Ingenuity And Innovations 1 - Kohl Eyeliner: More Than Meets the Eye

Ingenuity And Innovations 1 - Kohl Eyeliner: More Than Meets the Eye

The black eyeliner known widely today as kohl was used much by both men and women in Egypt from around 2000 BCE—and not just for beauty or to invoke the the god Horus. It turns out kohl was also good for the health of the eyes, and the cosmetic’s manufacture relied on the world’s first known example of “wet chemistry”—the use of water to induce chemical reactions.
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2023 Calendar: Fauna

2023 Calendar: Fauna

From North African deserts to Indo-Pacific archipelagos, creatures of the lands, seas and skies have been depicted in art, venerated in temples and hunted for more than 8,000 years. Now they are increasingly protected.
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Sustainability’s Dubai Beta Lab

Sustainability’s Dubai Beta Lab

Expo 2020 Dubai closed in March after showcasing buildings and displays designed to maximize sustainability, one of the Expo’s top themes. Creative systems for power generation, water conservation and city planning all addressed global challenges.

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FirstLook: A Mother’s Kiss

FirstLook: A Mother’s Kiss

For more than eight hours, we navigated the Sekonyer River in a wooden boat, cruising through Tanjung Puting National Park in the Central Kalimantan region of Borneo, Indonesia.

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