New Zealand just conferred personhood upon the Whanganui River, giving it standing to legally defend its rights. Can this novel strategy save the environment?
Partula snails were driven to extinction in the wild by introduced predators.
Wikimedia Commons
Fractals are patterns that repeat at increasingly fine magnifications. They turn up in the natural world and in artists’ work. Research suggests they contribute to making something aesthetically appealing.
Not what most Egyptians see when they look out their windows.
Vincent Battesti
The pastiche-style poster art ubiquitous in Egyptian houses and businesses reveals how locals imagine far-off landscapes, idealise nature and define beauty.
Exposure to nature plays a positive role in brain development by providing children with opportunities to take risks, discover new things, and be creative.
The public pays for academic research and then again to read the published results of that research. A new initiative proposes a radical Open Access model. Can it work?
The forest around Lake Waikaremoana in New Zealand has been given legal status of a person because of its cultural significance.
Paul Nelhams/flickr
Natural capital is a hot topic that proponents have jumped onto, believing it is the future of sustainable development. But this concept is based on fundamental fallacies.
China’s Jiangxi mountains: now just an asset?
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Peer review is a crucial part of the academic publication system. It is also a critical part of the hiring and evaluation process. What’s the problem with peer review?
Research suggests that those struggling with negative feelings about their bodies should spend more time in the great outdoors.
Residents near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota and many others are concerned of the impact of mining in its headwaters.
atbaker/flickr
Almost 100 years ago, the foundations to preserve the Boundary Waters in Minnesota for recreation were put in place. Now residents are debating whether to allow a mine in its headwaters.
Nature conservationists should be asking if chasing Pokémon creatures means anything for species in the real world.
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‘Pokémon Go’ has the ability to make people wander around nature looking for fantasy creatures – but will this translate into people exploring real-life nature?