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An analysis of shark tooth shapes, a proxy for body size and diet, reveals species with specialized traits are most at risk of extinction. The findings are the latest example of the biodiversity crisis affecting the tree of life’s most distinctive branches. Unless threats like overfishing are addressed, “you end up with a more boring world.”
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Ninety years of tidepool observations in Monterey Bay have taught Stanford researchers about climate change impacts on the ocean and the evolution of science.
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Analysis by Stanford researchers shows how strategic investment in undergrounding power lines could shave hours off some long lasting blackouts tied to extreme weather.
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New analysis of isotopes preserved in ancient seafloor sediments suggests oxygen levels in Earth’s deep ocean stabilized at modern-day levels long after the rapid burst of evolution that gave us most major animal groups.
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Direct experiences have powerful effects on perception – a truth at the heart of new Stanford-led research showing how immersive VR can make distant places feel more immediate and climate-related impacts, such as flooding, feel personally relevant. Compared to seeing static images, the approach engenders feelings more likely to lead to constructive actions.
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Stanford researchers developed a flash-freezing observation method that reveals battery chemistry without altering it, providing new insights to enhance lithium metal batteries.
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Projects in Armenia, the People’s Republic of China, the Cook Islands, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka have integrated nature’s benefits to people in policy, lending, and operational decisions.
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A new guide supports academic innovators who want to translate their innovations into impact. The report includes case studies from Stanford faculty who have successfully navigated for-profit startups, nonprofits, licensing, and other ventures to build projects, technologies, and organizations.
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Scientists can now accurately determine where randomly distributed components appear in concrete, soil, and other common materials using a statistical model. The findings could enable the design of better, stronger, cheaper materials.
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Delta Electronics leader Yancey Hai and energy efficiency expert Amory Lovins shared advice for companies, countries, and students in Stanford’s Big Ideas in Sustainability series.
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Wildfires are threatening lives, infrastructure, and public health systems across the West. Bay Area fire management officials are implementing effective prevention measures – from prescribed burns to home-hardening rebate programs – yet crucial research gaps remain.
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Founded by two Stanford postdoctoral scholars and supported by an Innovation Transfer Grant from the TomKat Center, startup Electroflow Technologies converts abundant saltwater brines in the U.S. into a key material needed for batteries.
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Civil and environmental engineer Rishee Jain discusses how modern homes, offices, and schools are shaped by people but also shape us in return.
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How does climate change affect human migration and what does it mean for border policies? Learn about the complex relationship between weather and cross-border migration across different demographic groups, and the role for future policies.
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Stanford researchers are uncovering the journey of microplastics in our environment and their effects on human health, while developing practical solutions to mitigate their impact.
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A new study shows California can go carbon-free mostly using current and emerging solutions – but to get there, it must overcome regulatory challenges and scale technologies at an unprecedented pace.
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Scholars across campus are leveraging AI to drive remarkable advancements in fields from robotics to neuroscience to mining, while fostering a cautious approach to the application of the technology.
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During a recent Stanford roundtable, experts outlined strategic approaches for California to maintain its AI lead while expanding the electricity grid sustainably and affordably.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded in 2009 that carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare, underpinning rules for cars, power plants, and industry. As the agency weighs reversing the decision, Stanford’s Chris Field distills the peer-reviewed science on risks to people and the economy.
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Wildfire smoke increasingly threatens lives across the country. A new study shows smoke exposure in the coming decades will cause tens of thousands of excess deaths and predicts where exposure will occur so communities and policymakers can prepare for the health burden.
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Scientists are tapping wastewater for valuable nutrients, public health information, and more.
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For the first time, researchers report that Arctic algae can hustle along in -15 C – the lowest-temperature movement ever recorded in complex, living cells. This discovery raises new questions about how algal communities regulate the overall health of the Arctic environment.
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Companies in cruise tourism, seafood, container shipping, and other sectors in the ocean economy disclose little about their ocean-specific impacts and rarely set targets for reducing them, a new study finds.
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Domestic vessels account for the majority of port visits globally. Inspecting them in addition to foreign vessels is key to deterring illegal fishing, scientists say.
