From lunar nights to Martian dust storms: Why batteries struggle in space
Space agencies are no longer talking about visiting the moon, they're planning on living on it.
Space Exploration
Jan 23, 2026
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Page 7: Research news on Extreme Environments
Organisms in the Atacama Desert soil are remarkably diverse, study shows
A new study shows that resilient and remarkably diverse populations of organisms can persist in the soil despite harsh and extremely dry conditions. An international team led by researchers from the University of Cologne, ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 13, 2026
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Meet the springtails: Little-known fantastic beasts that live everywhere on Earth
In virtually every piece of land on Earth—from near the summit of Mount Everest to Antarctica to caves nearly 2,000 meters underground—live tiny critters that have shaped the health of our planet for hundreds of millions ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 12, 2026
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A Namib desert beetle runs to stay cool: How scientists solved the puzzle of this unique and speedy species
The Namib desert of south-western Africa can be extremely hot—the surface temperature can be over 50°C. But a surprising number of around 200 beetle species live on its bare, inhospitable-looking sand dunes.
Plants & Animals
Jan 7, 2026
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Climate extremes trigger rare coral disease and mass mortality on the Great Barrier Reef
University of Sydney marine biologists have identified a devastating combination of coral bleaching and a rare necrotic wasting disease that wiped out large, long-lived corals on the Great Barrier Reef during the record 2024 ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 9, 2025
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Extreme engineering: Unlocking design secrets of deep-sea microbes
The microbe Pyrodictium abyssi is an archaeon—a member of what's known as the third domain of life—and an extremophile. It lives in deep-sea thermal vents, at temperatures above the boiling point of water, without light or ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 5, 2025
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From the volcanic crater to the lab: Extremophiles offer a lesson in survival
"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative," wrote H. G. Wells. This principle—that survival requires change—was mastered billions of years ago by single-celled organisms living in extreme heat. Over ...
Evolution
Nov 29, 2025
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Water bears survive cosmic radiation with one DNA-protecting protein. Learning how could boost human resilience too
A newly discovered protein from Earth's toughest animal is inspiring breakthrough therapies for cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 30, 2025
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Fats provide clues to life at its limits in the deep sea
Diverse life forms exist on and within the ocean floor. These primarily consist of microbes, tiny organisms that can cope with extreme environmental conditions. These include high pressures and salinities, as well as extreme ...
Ecology
Oct 30, 2025
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Researchers warn of the urgent need to include the cumulative effects of extreme climate events in penguin conservation
A new international analysis warns that penguin survival hinges on a shift in how science and conservation policy approach climate change: Rather than examining extreme events in isolation, it is their cumulative effects ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 23, 2025
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