BeanStem

grist.orgA once-in-a-generation opportunity for California’s oceanCalifornia is weighing new marine protections that could safeguard vital coastal habitats, help restore marine life, and give Tribes a greater role in ocean stewardship.

This is a genuinely GREAT opportunity to protect beautiful, valuable ecosystems off California's coast Despite opposing adding newMarine Protected Areas, all the evidence shows that fisheries had better yield in surrounding areas after the MPAs were established. This could be a win-win if passed!

Grist@grist.org

California is weighing new marine protections that could safeguard vital coastal habitats, help restore marine life, and give Tribes a greater role in ocean stewardship. (Sponsored by @nrdc.org)

scientificamerican.comLettuce engineered to produce meat proteinsProtein-packed leaves might be the key to better meat alternatives

We made plants that bleed. Uh. Not sure if that's good news or not. But for real- by moving the instructions from the nucleus to the chloroplasts, scientists made lettuce produce myoglobin, which helps makes blood red, more efficiently than before! This could be a big win for meat alternatives

popsci.comNorth America’s tiniest mammals are living at a Marine Corps training area. That’s good.Pacific pocket mice are about the size of a human thumb.

right now, the teeniest tiniest mouse is having a comeback! Pacific pocket mice are ADORABLE (they're only 3 pennies heavy!), and their burrows help with soil health, which is good for everyone After a near miss with extinction, recover programs are proving successful! #conservation #science 🧪

grist.orgIn a warming Arctic, Inuit bear guards protect communitiesThis story is published through the Indigenous News Alliance. After retiring from a long career as a conservation officer with the Canadian government, Derrick Pottle devoted himself to guiding people...

Today in "jobs you didn't know you could have" — bear guards! Trainers teach from Inuit knowledge about how to respond to bear encounters to ensure the safety of both the bears and the humans As polar bear encounters increase, this knowledge is invaluable to Canadians grist.org/indigenous/i...

bbc.comHow drones are hunting fires hidden beneath the CairngormsDramatic flames from the huge Cairngorms wildfire in July have disappeared - but hot spots can continue to burn beneath the earth.

Drones for deliveries ❌ Drones for wildfire monitoring ✅ #science #wildfires

That famous picture of the woman with her printed code that she wrote for the Apollo mission? That's Margaret Hamilton, she unfortunately passed away this week at age 90 She was instrumental in getting Niel Armstrong and his crew to the moon, I encourage you to read about her and honor her today

www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

theguardian.comMargaret Hamilton, trailblazer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon landing, dies at 90MIT computer scientist led development of software for moon mission and earned Presidential Medal of Freedom

phys.orgNature's capacity to 'bounce back' when species are lost is vastly overestimated, global analysis findsThe idea that ecosystems carry plenty of backup, so if a small number of species become extinct there is little harm, has been greatly overestimated, according to the largest global study of its kind.

Yeah, this isn't super new but it's good that we have #science to support it now Basically this is saying losing a few species doesn't necessarily cause collapse, but it does significantly affect how resilient an #ecosystem is You can take out a kidney, but that doesn't mean you're "totally fine"

popsci.comWhales can't hear each other in the noisy ocean. This inventor has a solution 200 years in the making.A new type of boat propeller could turn down the volume.

Imagine trying to sleep or have a conversation with a hairdryer running nearby you 24/7 That's kinda what we've done to whales Ships are HELLA loud, and it's disrupted their behavior and communication. But simply by changing the shape of propeller blades, we might be able to help

grist.orgNew Colorado neighborhood could offer glimpse into the future of home energy useThe partners behind a project in suburban Denver think they’ve found a way to accelerate the adoption of residential geothermal heating and cooling.

I'm such a sucker for efficiency and geothermal heat pumps are a GREAT example These things are CRAZY efficient, using ½ to ¼ the energy of regular air conditioning systems The problem atm is cost, but this company is using the scale of housing developments to solve that grist.org/energy/new-c...

nytimes.comA Supreme Court Battle Over Climate Change Begins (Gift Article)The justices are about to hear a lawsuit that could determine whether the oil industry faces billions of dollars in liability for damages caused by global warming.

I've mentioned it before but I want to boost this story again bc it could be HUGE Boulder, CO is trying to get big oil companies to pay for the recovery of climate disasters that they exacerbated AND pay for preparation for future ones, now that they're more likely www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/c...

To be clear, this is not just because "oil releases CO2," it's ALSO because these oil companies have known about their effect on the climate and have spent BILLIONS lying to and deceiving the public This really is our modern "big tobacco"

grist.orgThe surprising allies backing Boulder's climate case before the Supreme CourtRanchers, conservative legal scholars, and former Republican EPA chiefs are siding against oil companies. Here's why.

It's also not a clear-cut left vs right issue Legal experts on the right are chiming in with support, but also rural ranchers in CO are struggling and losing their ranches as a DIRECT result of climate change, and they're raiding their voices in support of this case grist.org/accountabili...

BeanStem reposted

Skype a Scientist

@skypeascientist.bsky.social

We at Skype a Scientist are deeply troubled by the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences. We urge you to contact Drexel University Leadership and Academy interim leader Trish Wellenbach to urge them to reopen the museum. President Merlo president@Drexel.edu Trish Wellenbach tw958@drexel.edu

BeanStem reposted

jtkindt

@jtkindt.bsky.social

Long legs and a teddy-bear face on this Sword Wolf spider (Gladicosa gulosa). Black Rock Forest NY, July ‘26. #arachtober #inverts #bugsky #bugshot

@blackforager.bsky.social Just listened to your episode on @sciam.bsky.social Science Quickly and I just want you to know that you are always just a DELIGHT to listen to!

aitooldiscovery.comAI Data Center Power: 415 TWh in 2024, 945 TWh by 2030Global data centers consumed 415 TWh in 2024 and will reach 945 TWh by 2030. AI rack power density, PUE explained, and what the energy surge means.

Hey does anybody remember when EVs would "never work" because it would "overload the power grid"? Yeah. Guess we figured that problem out as soon as it made billionaires richer.

bbc.co.uk'Backpack' declared Alaska's Fat Bear Week winner"Backpack" defeated a bear known only as "910" in the final round of the annual competition.

Congrats to Backpack for winning the #FatBearWeek voting!! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

nytimes.comOpinion | A.I. Shortcuts Are Ruining How We Think (Gift Article)Anything worth remembering came from a person who did not know where she or he was going until arriving.

"The greatest contributions to humanity… show evidence of people who got lost in a problem and came out the other side with an idea they would not have found otherwise. That does not happen by taking a shortcut to the center. It happens in the detours." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

This is a fun, creative exploration of the value and joy of creativity, and how AI just can't replace it — and why we can't allow it to

nytimes.comDoes This Bird’s Return to Britain Restore History or Rewrite It? (Gift Article)Conservationists set up a colony of white storks in southern England, touching off a debate over whether they truly belong there.

Look, the natural world is incomprehensibly complex and interconnected. We really want to prioritize conservation over restoration Keeping our mangroves and whales is a LOT easier than trying to recreate what we once had, especially once the system has been without them for a while and has changed

BeanStem reposted

Bart⚓️

@bartgonnissen.bsky.social

The Facial Expressions of Tethys by artist Julius von Bismarck. A suspended high-sea buoy that moves in real time. Sensors on a twin buoy out in the Atlantic Ocean send live satellite data to motors inside the museum. This makes the indoor buoy copy the exact, real-time movements of the ocean waves.

We may now have a tool to hold #BigOil accountable for the damage they've done #Climate attribution science aims to prove in court that specific oil companies substantially increased the risk of #ClimateDisasters like #heatwaves that killed people in recent years (Learn more at the link below)

View full thread

theatlantic.comAn Existential Threat to the Oil IndustryCan the energy giants be held responsible for extreme weather?

This is a really good article, all the way until the author seems to deliberately miss the point, saying "yeah but PEOPLE use oil, so it's not really the oil companies' fault" They LIED and LOBBIED to literally build our cities to depend on their product www.theatlantic.com/science/2026...

If you have to burn the world to build and sell your product at a competitive price, then you simply should NOT be in business You cannot subsidize the cost of gas and plastic and convenience with our LIVES And blaming people for using these products is just irresponsible and grossly uninformed

The move resembles how Big Tobacco was ultimately held legally liable Oil companies have known since the 70s that emissions from their products would threaten the climate, using Big Tobacco-esque tactics to preemptively evade blame

scientificamerican.com9 ‘boundaries’ keep Earth livable. We’ve breached 7 of themEarth’s annual checkup shows that we’re at increasing risk of moving away from the environment we’re adapted to

22 Sept

We're already seeing the effects of the poor health of our ecosphere "Surpassing one of these limits isn’t a recipe for automatic doom, like flipping a switch. Rather it’s like blood pressur. A high value is not a guarantee that you’re going to have a heart attack, but it raises the risks of one"

grist.orgA federal judge just told Trump there's no ‘emergency' to justify keeping a Michigan coal plant openIt's one of the first successful legal challenges to the administration’s “energy emergency” agenda.

13 Sept

Good news! A new #climate win! The federal government ordered some #coal plants slated for decommissioning to remain open. This is despite provable effects on public health, not to mention ridiculous operating costs A federal judge ruled that order illegal, shuttering the plant as planned

12 Sept

choose your fighter: - austin_idk.mp4 - austin_idk.wav - ellie_pan.mp4 - b_millipede.mp4 - david

nytimes.comHow Did a Heart Drug With So Much Promise Fall So Flat? (Gift Article)Cardiologists are struggling to figure out why a drug that should have prevented heart attacks didn’t work at all.

11 Sept

Often the most exciting #science news is of a success, but failures can advance our knowledge just as much Studies suggested a drug lowering Lp(a) would reduce the risk of heart attack — all the way up until clinical trials proved… nothing This isn't a dead end, though, just a wrong turn #health

BeanStem reposted

jtkindt

@jtkindt.bsky.social

10 Sept

I, for one, do not welcome our Jorō spider overlords. As someone who loves spider and insect diversity, I find that these have been supplanting the usual mix of orb-weaving spiders in my neighborhood. And there is observational data to back that up: www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16... #Bugsky

mdpi.commdpi.com

BeanStem@beanstem.org

Huh. It looks like all the Jorō #spiders in the #southeastUS are (probably?) actually not invasive or problematic. Neat! They seem to prey on insects that native spiders tend to avoid, so they're not really competing! #science www.discovermagazine.com/invasive-jor...

discovermagazine.comInvasive Jorō Spiders Have Made a Home in Georgia, but They May Not Threaten Native SpidersDespite their scary looks and giant webs, Jorō spiders appear to peacefully coexist with local spiders, developing a taste for pesky insects native arachnoids won’t touch.

npr.orgScientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measuredThe European climate service Copernicus said the Earth just sweltered through its hottest month on record in August. Scientists said the heat surge is mostly due to human-caused climate change.

10 Sept

Regardless of whose fault you think it is, the #climate is *objectively* getting warmer. The warming earth is not "threatening" our lives, it's already taking them and making the rest worst. That's scary, and yet – humans are incredibly powerful when working together. We CAN fix this. #science 🧪

BeanStem reposted

Seattle Aquarium

@seattleaquarium.bsky.social

(: ɐʎǝɹɟ ᴉɥ

"If you suppress fire on the landscape for a century… leave trees and brush to pile up in a continent-sized pyre, then heat up the planet and take away the rain, everything’s going to burn at once“ Fire plays a role in an ecosystem. We've misunderstood that & messed it up, putting our lives at risk

Grist@grist.org

America is losing its war against wildfire

dlvr.itAmerica is losing its war against wildfireWildland firefighting is increasingly facing an intractable reality: We’re stuck in a vicious cycle. A doom loop.

9 Sept

I especially like the analogy here to compare #wildfires to a wild animal They talk about how we've "self-selected" for the most overwhelming, powerful fires. I can't help but compare it to antibiotic resistance Fire is important, and just "putting it out harder" isn't a valid solution

4 Sept

I've talked about how new species get discovered and described (see my ep on ghost sharks!), but how does a new species come to be? There are a lot of ways, but here's one of them! #biodiversity #ecology #biology #science #species

youtu.beThe 1% that really mattersYouTube video by BeanStem

4 Sept

Check out the full video!

BeanStem@beanstem.org

The word #biodiversity gets thrown around a lot when talking about the climate crisis, but... What does it actually mean, and why should you care? youtu.be/xoIHtO0kooA

BeanStem reposted

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈

@whysharksmatter.bsky.social

2 Sept

An Endangered Sea Lion’s ‘Steller’ Recovery One endangered sea lion's second chance shows why every animal matters www.scubadiving.com/news/endange... 🧪 🦑 🌍️

scubadiving.comAn Endangered Sea Lion’s ‘Steller’ RecoveryOne endangered sea lion travels thousands of miles for a second chance. Here's why Westley's rehabilitation shows why every animal matters.

BeanStem reposted

Dr. Earyn McGee

@afroherper.bsky.social

4 Sept

A few Gila monster shot glasses fresh out the kiln. I’m obsessed with this concept! #lizard #pottery #ceramics #art

BeanStem reposted

I am a scientist – and the answer is climate change. Yes, there is nuance. Yes, it could take a long time to identify the precise mechanisms. But there is no question why ice and snow-related disasters are on the rise. Our planet is warming at an unprecedented rate, and humans are responsible.

The New York Times@nytimes.com

In Nepal, it will most likely take months for scientists to understand exactly what led to deadly flash floods that killed over 1,000 people and left thousands missing. Early theories posit glacier meltwater and a thawing permafrost could have contributed to bedrock collapse.

nyti.msDeadly Flash Floods in Nepal Most Likely Caused by Weakened BedrockAs the planet warms, glacier meltwater and a thawing permafrost could have contributed to destabilizing the rock.

BeanStem reposted

youtu.beThe 1% that really mattersYouTube video by BeanStem

29 Aug

The word #biodiversity gets thrown around a lot when talking about the climate crisis, but... What does it actually mean, and why should you care? youtu.be/xoIHtO0kooA

BeanStem reposted

Schmidt Ocean Institute

@schmidtocean.bsky.social

This chimaera is ready for their close-up. The runway is ready, and this deep-sea beauty is cleared for takeoff. Nothing screams confidence like slowing down for a large robot and letting ROV pilots zoom right in for a visual inspection. #DeepWonders of Trinidad & Tobago, 1,246 m

AI-designed viruses, a confused snake, and brand-new "black hole stars!" Welcome to 543! 5 science stories 4 you in 3 minutes or less! #543series #sciencenews #science #astronomy #biology #ainews

BeanStem reposted

Monterey Bay Aquarium

@montereybayaquarium.org

31 Aug

The new member of the alcids family is puffin cute! 🐣 Meet Kiwi! This tufted puffin chick was hatched on July 11, and is part of the Species Survival Program. The goal is to protect the health and genetic diversity of select species, making Kiwi a puffling to celebrate.

news.miami.eduFlorida’s leading coral experts unite in historic effort to restore Florida’s Coral ReefBacked by a NOAA-funded initiative, 12 organizations joined forces during the annual coral spawning event to produce more than 1.5 million embryos and help preserve genetic diversity for the future of...

A MASSIVE collaboration between multiple organizations (funded by @climate.noaa.gov) resulted in 1.5 million coral embryos to be used for rebuilding south Florida #coral reefs! Using "IVF for coral" has helped save the diversity of coral species like the elkhorn & staghorn targeted in this effort

youtu.beThe science that's saving coral reefsYouTube video by BeanStem

About a year ago, I spoke with people from 2 of the organizations involved in this story to share how, exactly, scientists are pulling out all types of new tools to save our coral reefs. Check it out here! youtu.be/J4mePLG67qs

menshealth.comInside the Rise of the Anti-Sunscreen MovementSunscreen is in the middle of a PR crisis, with skeptics claiming it’s hazardous to your health. Experts dismiss the claims as misinformation, but has the damage already been done? MH investigates.

30 Aug

Confusion and fear about the #health effects of #sunscreen has been spreading online This comes from a misunderstood FDA statement citing a paper that explicitly says "These results do not indicate that individuals should refrain from the use of sunscreen" TL;DR: Sunscreen is safe, pls use it!

beanstem.orgThe butterflies from my childhood are almost goneFun, thoughtful videos on science, technology, and the environment

29 Aug

When I was young, my first grade class had some #monarch butterflies that we watched through their metamorphosis. Today, the monarch population has fallen 95% The history of earth is the history of LIFE on earth. We are part of it, and we need to care for it better beanstem.org/blog/biodive...