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Nature

Nitrogen in the Netherlands: what nature measures, what the models calculate, and who pays

Heathland in the Schaopedobbe reserve with grasses encroaching on the heather The Dutch nitrogen dossier is discussed in three separate languages at once: that of monitoring (what is measured in nature), that of calculation (what the models predict at a given location), and that of permits (who may build, expand or farm). The three agree on the direction and differ on the size and the location. This post sets them side by side: the measured trend, the uncertainties the model keepers themselves publish, and what the dossier costs farmers, builders and households.

Climate.us: Rebuilding Climate.gov Outside the Government

Earth seen from orbit, North America in view

For about fifteen years, Climate.gov was the place Americans landed when they wanted a straight answer about the climate. It was run by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and at the start of 2025 it was the top organic result if you typed "climate" into Google in the United States. Then, over the course of a year, it stopped being updated, lost its staff and went dark.

The site that grew back in its place is called Climate.us. It is run by members of the same team, it is not part of the government, and it exists because a few people refused to let fifteen years of work disappear.

Why Vultures Matter: Nature's Overlooked Sanitation Service

Pixelated illustration of a vulture in flight

Vultures are among the most misunderstood animals on Earth — and among the most important. They are nature's sanitation service: the birds that turn a carcass into clean ground, removing bacteria and pathogens before they get a chance to spread. Their work is worth billions and, as the collapse of vultures in India showed, losing them can cost human lives. Yet across much of the world, these scavengers are quietly vanishing.

Singapore's Biological Data Center: 16 Million Living Neurons at Work

Painterly detail of a data center server rack In Singapore, researchers have switched on a data center that runs on a different kind of silicon substitute: living human brain cells. The prototype, built at the NUS Life Sciences Institute by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) together with global data center developer and operator DayOne and Melbourne-based biological computing startup Cortical Labs, packs roughly 16 million living human neurons into a single server rack — the world's first independently operated biologically integrated rack.

We're reclaiming Iceland's Deserts - here's how

A gravel plain with young shrubs and lupines in front of a glacier in Iceland

Embark on a fascinating journey to Iceland, where Mossy Earth is tackling the monumental task of reclaiming the island's vast deserts. This video delves into a crucial rewilding project focused on restoring Iceland's native birchwoods, a vital part of its ecological heritage. Once covering a significant portion of the landscape, these resilient woodlands, offering shelter, food for biodiversity, and crucial soil stabilization, have dwindled to a mere 1% of their former glory. Join us as we explore the challenges and innovative approaches to bringing these essential ecosystems back to life.