Some of the world’s most dangerous plants may also be among its most useful. Researchers have now identified a key set of enzymes in wolfsbane and larkspur that could help scientists recreate difficult-to-synthesize natural compounds in the lab, opening new doors for future medicines.These plants are notorious because even tiny doses can cause neurotoxicity and…

A new nationwide study suggests that most coastal wetlands in the contiguous United States are struggling to keep up with rising sea levels. Researchers tracking nearly 450 wetlands for up to 20 years found that 84% are gradually being inundated, putting many on a path to become open water if current trends continue. The study…

Representative Image of shipping container shops and traders in Dordoi Bazaar (AI-generated image) On the outskirts of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, sits Dordoi Bazaar, a sprawling 100-hectare market built almost entirely from stacked shipping containers, now recognised as the largest wholesale and retail trading hub in Central Asia. What began in the chaotic years…

For most of human history, a water source containing high concentrations of arsenic would have been considered deadly. Long-term exposure to the toxic metal is linked to cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neurological disorders. Yet for thousands of years, people living in Chile’s Atacama Desert have relied on groundwater containing some of the highest naturally…

John Beal was a Vietnam veteran who returned to Seattle in the late 1960s carrying wounds that never fully healed. He was wounded three times during his tour, held captive in a bamboo tiger cage for thirteen days, and came home to a country that had turned against the war. He eventually settled in South…

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled ‘Operation Fortress’. Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party has unveiled ‘Operation Fortress’, a military-led plan that it says would end illegal migrant crossings across the English Channel if it comes to power.Party leader Nigel Farage described it as the “largest military operation in the Channel since World War II,” promising…

What is Alaska Highway and its importance in history Imagine building a 1,500-mile road across frozen forests, high mountains, swamps and permafrost in less than a year. It sounds like an impossible engineering task, but that is exactly what the U.S. Army did during World War II. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers…