Carl Zimmer

The Loom

Darwiniana

Squirting cucumber (Ecballium elaterium). (Image Credit: Helen Gorges) 

squirting cucumbers

Learn more about squirting cucumbers (Ecballium elaterium) and how their seeds explode out of them, which could lead to medical advancements.

Watch These Squirting Cucumbers Shoot Their Seeds Out at 29 Miles Per Hour

Pablo Moreno-Yaeger collects samples near the caldera of Mocho-Choshuenco. (Image Credit: Pablo Moreno-Yaeger / UW-Madison)

Glacier and Volcano

Learn more about the connection between melting glaciers and volcanic eruptions, a volatile relationship that has existed since the last Ice Age.

As Glaciers Retreat, Powerful Volcanoes May Erupt More Frequently Across the Planet

Great white shark

Discover more about the shark that inspired Jaws. 

"Great" May Be Gone From the Name, But These 10 White Shark Facts Are Pretty Killer 

hot spring at Yellowstone

Learn more about some of the microbes found in Yellowstone National Park hot springs and how they may hold the secrets to how life evolved on Earth. 

Yellowstone Hot Springs Create Perfect Environment for Ancient Microbes 

Looking southeast at the hydrothermal feature that formed in August 2024 just north of Nymph Lake. Steam is emanating from a vent that is partially full of water to create the frying pan feature nestled in the newly formed vent. A thin grey layer of silica mud covers the vent area. (Image Courtesy of: Jefferson Hungerford, Yellowstone National Park, August 2024/Public Domain) 

2024 Roadside Springs feature closeup

Learn more about the new hydrothermal feature that appeared last summer in Yellowstone National Park, and how, even though it went dormant over the winter, it could appear again this summer. 

Could Yellowstone National Park Visitors See New Thermal Feature Again This Summer? 

(Image Credit: KARITING PICAH/Shutterstock) 

Mount Lewotobi

Discover more about Indonesia's volcanic alert system and the systems used around the world to help keep people as safe as possible. 

Volcanic Alert Systems Helped Keep People Safe During Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Eruption

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