Sea level rise is killing trees along the Atlantic coast, creating ‘ghost forests’ that are visible from space

Emily Ury, Duke University

As sea levels rise along the Atlantic coast, saltwater is intruding inland, killing trees and turning coastal forests into marshes. Should scientists try to slow the process, or work with it?

The US is worried about its critical minerals supply chains – essential for electric vehicles, wind power and the nation’s defense

Jordy Lee, Colorado School of Mines; Morgan Bazilian, Colorado School of Mines

Right now, the nation is almost entirely dependent on other countries for minerals that are used in everything from wind turbines to strike fighters and satellites.

Sports remain hostile territory for LGBTQ Americans

Rachel Allison, Mississippi State University; Chris Knoester, The Ohio State University

Half of LGBTQ participants in a recent study experienced discrimination, insults, bullying or abuse while playing, watching or talking about sports.

Baseball stadiums are filling up – but an analysis of the NFL’s 2020 season holds a warning about COVID-19 case spikes

Alex R. Piquero, University of Miami; Justin Kurland, The University of Southern Mississippi

Crowd size matters. When football games had thousands of fans in attendance, COVID-19 case numbers tended to spike within three weeks.

The 17th-century cloth merchant who discovered the vast realm of tiny microbes – an appreciation of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Richard Gunderman, Indiana University

Leeuwenhoek, who discovered bacteria, is one of the most important figures in the history of medicine, laying the groundwork for today's understanding of infectious disease.

An interactive visual database for American Sign Language reveals how signs are organized in the mind

Zed Sevcikova Sehyr, San Diego State University; Ariel Golderg, Tufts University; Karen Emmorey, San Diego State University; Naomi Caselli, Boston University

In American Sign Language, some words rhyme, some look like what they mean and some are used more often than others. A new database of these features paves a pathway for ASL research.

Botched coup in Niger points to deep fissures in the country

Olayinka Ajala, Leeds Beckett University

Although there had been an increase in violence in Niger since the last election results were announced, the attempted coup, on March 31, raised concerns to a new level in the volatile country.

Ancient eggshells and a hoard of crystals reveal early human innovation and ritual in the Kalahari

Jayne Wilkins, Griffith University; Sechaba Maape, University of the Witwatersrand

Researchers unearthed the 105,000-year-old artefacts from a spiritual site in southern Africa. Although far from the coast, the area is associated with stories of a great water snake.

Men who identify as feminists are having more — and more varied — sex

Max Stick, McMaster University

Men who identify as feminists self-report more frequent sex and higher levels of sexual satisfaction. The other 60 per cent aren't having as much fun, according to the findings of a new study.

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