A new study shows there is something of value to be found and learned from in the remnants of wildfires, says professor and co-author Pei Chiu. Wildfires lead to the production of a large quantity of carbon-rich material known as wildfire char that can reduce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

The seismic activity generated by Taylor Swift’s concerts in Dublin in 2024 provided a unique opportunity for scientific engagement and education, according to the authors of a groundbreaking new study. 

Tulane University scientists published the first global assessment of ecological risks from ocean plastics, showing that the greatest dangers are not always in visible “garbage patches” but in areas where plastics overlap with dense marine life and pollutants. Their model maps worldwide “ecological risk hotspots,” highlighting threats from ingestion, entanglement, pollutant transport, and chemical leaching, with vulnerable zones including the North Pacific, North Atlantic, North Indian Ocean, and coastal East Asia. The study warns that risks could triple by 2060 without stronger action. But coordinated global efforts to reduce plastic use and improve waste management could significantly lessen the threats.