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    Large earthquakes are often known for their immense power but some carry an added twist. Known as “boomerang earthquakes,” these rare events reverse direction mid-rupture, sending seismic energy back along the fault within seconds. Until now, scientists believed such complex behaviour required equally complex fault structures. Sun and Cattania (2026) demonstrate that boomerang ruptures can occur even along simple, straight faults. Their theoretical model shows that earthquake ruptures can naturally shift between continuous sliding and brief traveling pulses of slip. When this transition occurs, it can spontaneously trigger a backward-moving rupture front effectively creating the “boomerang” effect. This reversal can intensify shaking because energy is released in ...

    The world remains dangerously unprepared for the escalating risks of climate change, according to a group of leading scientists who are urging the creation of an internationally mandated global risk assessment to clarify what is at stake and what can still be avoided. In a new paper published in the journal Nature, experts warn that despite overwhelming scientific evidence of accelerating planetary warming, there is still no “authoritative and up-to-date assessment” focused specifically on avoidable climate risks. Without such a coordinated global analysis, governments may be underestimating the scale of the threat, misdirecting resources, and implementing mitigation strategies that fail to address the most catastrophic potential outcomes. The consequences of a wa...

    Grasslands and wetlands are being converted into agricultural land at an alarming pace nearly four times faster than forests according to a new international study that highlights a major blind spot in global conservation efforts. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to comprehensively map where, why and how quickly natural non-forest ecosystems have been transformed into cropland and pasture worldwide. Conducted by an international team that includes Professor Martin Persson of Chalmers University of Technology, the study reveals that these ecologically vital landscapes are vanishing at a far greater rate than previously understood. While deforestation has long dominated environmental debates, the researcher...

    As climate change drives more frequent heatwaves and cold snaps, scientists and architects are warning that the buildings people rely on for safety are no longer fit for purpose. A new book argues that surviving the extreme temperatures of the climate crisis will require nothing short of a revolution in how homes and workplaces are designed. In Adaptive Thermal Comfort: At the Extremes published by Taylor & Francis, authors Susan Roaf, Fergus Nicol and Michael Humphreys contend that modern building design particularly in Western countries has created thermally fragile spaces that depend excessively on energy-intensive mechanical systems. As global temperatures rise and weather becomes more volatile, they say, this model is increasingly unsustainable and socially ...

    When the ground shakes, political fault lines can momentarily fade. That is the premise behind “earthquake diplomacy” a concept gaining renewed attention as experts argue that seismic crises can open rare windows for cross-border cooperation, humanitarian solidarity and long-term scientific collaboration. In a recent initiative led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, specialists from Greece, Italy and Türkiye gathered in Italy’s Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region to examine how disaster response can evolve into sustained regional partnership. The visit was part of UNESCO’s recovery response project following the devastating February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye. The idea is simple but powerful: shared vulnerability can foster shared s...

    In a move that blends public health, sustainability and local enterprise, the Nileshwar municipality in Kerala has declared the moringa (drumstick) tree as its official symbol and unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the town into a dedicated “Moringa hub.” Recognising the plant’s well-documented medicinal value and its expanding demand in national and international markets, the civic body has earmarked ₹5 lakh in its 2026–27 annual budget to launch the initiative. ‘Three Moringa in Every Yard’ campaign As part of the project, the municipality will introduce a “Three Moringa in Every Yard” campaign, distributing three saplings free of cost to each household. To ensure a steady supply of quality planting material, a nursery will be developed in collaboration ...

    An ancient disease that has stalked humanity for thousands of years is evolving in ways that deeply concern global health experts. The bacterium responsible for typhoid fever Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi is increasingly developing resistance to multiple antibiotics, including some of the last remaining oral treatments. Researchers say the speed at which highly resistant strains are spreading demands urgent international action. Rise of extensively drug-resistant strains A major 2022 genomic study analyzed 3,489 typhoid samples collected between 2014 and 2019 across Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. The findings, published in The Lancet Microbe, revealed a sharp rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid strains. These XDR strains are resista...

    The ground beneath Portugal and Spain may feel immovable, but scientists say the entire Iberian Peninsula is undergoing a subtle geological rotation a movement so slow it can only be detected with precision instruments. Using long-term GPS monitoring and satellite measurements, researchers have identified millimeter-scale shifts across the peninsula. These movements indicate that Iberia is behaving like a semi-rigid tectonic block, gradually pivoting as powerful forces build along its edges. Caught Between Two Plates The slow twist is driven by pressure between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. As the African Plate creeps northward and collides with Eurasia, stress accumulates along fault zones, particularly near the Azores–Gibraltar fracture zone off s...

    A mother-and-daughter team has identified what scientists are calling the largest documented coral colony ever mapped a sprawling structure stretching the length of a soccer field beneath the waters of Australia’s iconic reef system. The massive coral was discovered on the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Great Reef Census, a large-scale citizen science effort that mobilizes volunteers to collect reef imagery and data. Spanning approximately 111 meters (364 feet) and covering nearly 4,000 square meters, the coral colony is now considered the largest of its kind ever recorded and mapped globally, according to conservation group Citizens of the Reef. Discovery Years in the Making The coral was first spotted late last year by Sophie Kalkowski-Pope, marine oper...

    A new scientific study has detected significant concentrations of microplastics in three high-altitude lakes in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, with pollution levels rising in areas that are more densely populated and heavily visited by tourists. Researchers examined Nainital Lake, Bhimtal Lake, and Garudtal Lake three ecologically sensitive water bodies located at high elevations. Such lakes are particularly vulnerable to environmental stress because they respond quickly to changes in their surrounding watersheds. Urban Pressure Reflected in Pollution Levels Among the three lakes, Nainital Lake recorded the highest microplastic concentrations, ranging from 200 to 1,300 particles per cubic metre. Bhimtal Lake showed levels between 60 and 960 particles per cub...