Scientists warn Australia’s “zombie tree” could vanish within a generation

A newly identified Australian tree has been dubbed the “zombie” tree because it’s alive but unable to reproduce. Myrtle rust repeatedly kills its young growth, stopping the species from flowering or making seeds. Scientists are scrambling to grow disease-free seedlings in protected locations. Their hope is that a future generation may evolve resistance and bring the species back from the brink.

An investigation of the forces behind the age-verification bills

Volunteers Find Oddly High Solar Flare Rates

Patches of the Sun’s surface often show strong magnetic fields. These fields can emerge within a matter of hours, and can decay slowly or quickly, sometimes over days, weeks, or even months. Thanks to a new study about these long-lived active regions, we now know much more about the patches where these strong magnetic fields […]