Understanding the calcium carbonate cycle in the North Pacific

Organic carbon and calcium carbonate are two critical components of the ocean's carbon cycle. Organic carbon originates mainly from phytoplankton photosynthesis, which is part of a complex biological pump. Calcium carbonate, ...

Using bacteria to build settlements on Mars

In collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a sustainable method for making bricks out of Martian soil, using bacteria ...

When variations in Earth's orbit drive biological evolution

Coccolithophores are microscopic algae that form tiny limestone plates, called coccoliths, around their single cells. The shape and size of coccoliths varies according to the species. After their death, coccolithophores sink ...

Surface chemistry reveals corrosive secrets

One can easily see with the naked eye that leaving an old nail out in the rain causes rust. What does require the keen eyes and sensitive nose of microscopy and spectroscopy is observing how iron corrodes and forms new minerals, ...

Tea time gets flavor boost from thin film, impure water

Getting your day started sometimes feels like it requires magic, but making a good cup of tea requires a little science. In Physics of Fluids, researchers from ETH Zurich describe how they applied the science of rheology ...

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