Cancel Earthworms
The “crazy worms” remaking forests aren’t your friendly neighborhood garden worms. Then again, those aren’t so great either.
Life Up Close
Traveling the world to see microbes, plants, and animals in oceans, grasslands, forests, deserts, the icy poles—and wherever else they may be.
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This work was commissioned, produced, and edited by The Atlantic's editorial staff. Support for this work was provided in part by the organizations listed here.
Life Up Close is a project of The Atlantic, supported by the HHMI Department of Science Education.
The Price of Protecting Rhinos
Conservation has become a war, and park rangers and poachers are the soldiers.
A Substance Like Nothing Else on Earth
Amber is helping scientists discover how the ancient world worked.
The Mystery of the Disappearing Seabird
To change the fate of the kittiwake, scientists are trying to model its world.
How Roadkill Became an Environmental Disaster
To save Brazil’s giant anteaters, scientists are grappling with one of the planet’s most transformative forces: roads.
The Next Olympics Mascot Might Have Been a Mutant Morning Glory
Scientists dreamed of genetically engineering a flower patterned in the Games’ blue-and-white checkerboard emblem.
Deadly Algae Are Creeping Northward
In a warming ocean, Alexandrium algae are shredding marine food webs—and disrupting beloved Alaska traditions.
Tree-Poaching Is On the Rise
The opioid epidemic may be to blame for a rising incidence of illegal tree-felling.
The Dark Side of Light
Beneath the surface of one of Germany’s deepest lakes, researchers are studying the hidden effects of artificial light.
The Human Cost of Amber
Fossils preserved in sap offer an astonishingly clear view of the distant past, but they come at a high price.