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In our trial of a double-blind procedure for peer review, authors' awareness of their peer-review choices in the early stages of writing a paper is key for their decision to opt in or out.
The Chelyabinsk fireball highlighted the threat of asteroids and comets. But actually, for life on Earth, impacts may have once played the role of hero.
Mineral exploration is pushing new frontiers. Given a poor track record on land, mining practises should be honed on home soil before venturing into the oceans.
The latest report on global warming brings yet another rise in confidence that human actions are altering the Earth's climate. But in contrast to its 2007 predecessor, it is unlikely to cause a stir.
The Pleistocene megafauna extinction erased a group of remarkable animals. Whether humans had a prominent role in the extinction remains controversial, but it is emerging that the disappearance of the giants has markedly affected the environment.
How the Earth's crust — rather than just buildings or humans — responds to the violent shaking of an earthquake has been observed for centuries. Nevertheless, the wide range of geological impacts continues to surprise.
Melt rocks returned from the Moon date to a narrow interval of lunar bombardment about 4 billion years ago. There is now evidence to show that this so-called Late Heavy Bombardment spanned the entire Solar System.
Allowing authors of research papers to be anonymous to referees has long been recommended. We will offer such an option, as a trial, from 10 June 2013.
Plant–cloud interactions have the potential to both cool and warm the climate. Ascertaining how these processes balance out at the global scale will require close collaboration between climate scientists and plant biologists.
The oceans have long accumulated the waste products of civilization. Dumping at sea is banned, but to protect the marine environment we must also monitor litter on coastal lands and rivers.
The upper atmosphere is not at the focus of public attention. Yet it is becoming clear that human-induced changes reach high above Earth's surface, with potential repercussions down below.
