David Grossman
Editorial byline
David Grossman is an editorial byline for Science and Discovery, with a focus on Earth & Environment, Life & Biology. Biographical credentials and external profiles are published only after verification.
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Latest Articles
Three Ways Plates Meet: How Convergent, Divergent, and Transform Boundaries Shape the Earth
Earth's crust is shaped by three types of tectonic plate boundaries: divergent, where plates pull apart and create new crust; convergent, where plates collide and destroy crust or build mountains; and transform, where plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes. Understanding these interactions is key to deciphering geological features like mid-ocean ridges, trenches, volcanoes, and fault lines.
Nov 1, 2026 · 5 min read
A 700,000-Year-Old Elephant Tooth Reveals the Lost Landscape That Sustained Early Humans in the Levant
A 700,000-year-old elephant tooth from the Jordan Valley, analyzed using advanced techniques, has reconstructed a detailed picture of a lush ancient landscape that sustained early humans and megafauna. This multi-proxy approach offers a new model for paleoenvironmental reconstruction.
Oct 31, 2026 · 4 min read
Teghaza 001: 4.1-Billion-Year-Old Martian Meteorite Reveals a Wetter, Earth-Like Early Mars
A 4.1-billion-year-old Martian meteorite, Teghaza 001, provides unprecedented evidence of an early, wetter, Earth-like environment on the Red Planet. This ancient igneous rock offers a rare glimpse into Mars' earliest crust and its potential for a dynamic water cycle.
Oct 30, 2026 · 4 min read
Stakes, Satellites, or SAR? How to Choose the Right Way to Watch a Glacier Move
Choosing the right method to monitor glacier movement involves a trade-off between precision, spatial coverage, and logistical effort. Ground-based surveys offer direct, precise point measurements, while satellite methods like optical feature tracking and InSAR provide broad coverage and frequent revisit capabilities.
Oct 29, 2026 · 5 min read
How Thawing Permafrost Turns the Arctic Into a Climate Accelerator
Thawing Arctic permafrost, a vast reservoir of ancient organic carbon, is releasing greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane. This process creates a self-reinforcing feedback loop, transforming the Arctic from a climate stabilizer into a climate accelerator.
Oct 29, 2026 · 5 min read
Replacement, Editing, and the Two Routes Into the Eye: How Gene Therapy Is Being Built for Inherited Retinal Diseases
Gene therapy for inherited retinal diseases employs two main strategies: gene replacement or gene editing, delivered via subretinal or intravitreal injection. While Luxturna offers a successful model for LCA, ongoing research for conditions like achromatopsia highlights the complexities and challenges in developing effective treatments.
Oct 28, 2026 · 4 min read
How CRISPR Finds a Single Sequence and Turns It Into a Signal: The Trans-Cleavage Mechanism Behind SHERLOCK and DETECTR
CRISPR diagnostics utilize a trans-cleavage mechanism where Cas enzymes precisely locate a target nucleic acid sequence and then trigger collateral cutting of reporter molecules, amplifying the signal for detection. This principle powers platforms like SHERLOCK and DETECTR for sensitive and specific molecular diagnostics.
Oct 27, 2026 · 5 min read
Geoengineering, Explained: Reflecting Sunlight vs. Removing Carbon
Geoengineering involves deliberate, large-scale climate interventions, broadly categorized into Solar Radiation Management (SRM) to reflect sunlight and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) to extract atmospheric CO2. Both approaches carry distinct mechanisms, risks, and governance challenges, and neither replaces the necessity of emissions cuts.
Oct 26, 2026 · 5 min read
Three Ways to Build a World: Why Mars Rips, Venus Blisters, and Icy Moons Flex
Earth's unique plate tectonics are contrasted with the geological activity of Mars, Venus, and icy moons, driven by differences in internal heat and lithospheric structure. Understanding these comparative tectonic systems reveals diverse planetary evolution across our solar system.
Oct 25, 2026 · 7 min read
From Bone to Stone: How Four Different Fossilization Pathways Preserve Ancient Life
Fossils form through four distinct pathways: permineralization, molds and casts, carbonization, and preserved remains. The specific process depends on the organism's composition and its burial environment, each yielding different types of preserved ancient life.
Oct 24, 2026 · 6 min read
Short Reads or Long Reads: How to Pick the Right Sequencing Platform for Your Study
Choosing the right next-generation sequencing platform involves understanding the trade-offs between short-read (high accuracy, low cost) and long-read (longer reads, complex region resolution) technologies. The best choice depends on specific research objectives, such as SNP detection, structural variant analysis, or methylation profiling.
Oct 24, 2026 · 5 min read
Cloud Seeding, Explained: Real Ice Physics, Real Uncertainty
Cloud seeding uses artificial nuclei like silver iodide to trigger precipitation from supercooled clouds, a process with well-understood microphysics but uncertain, hard-to-measure effectiveness. While the mechanism is real, practical benefits are often unproven and application-dependent, requiring further research.
Oct 23, 2026 · 6 min read
Choosing the Right Satellite Technology for Deforestation Monitoring: A Practical Guide to Resolution, Revisit Frequency, and Cloud Cover
Choosing the right satellite technology for deforestation monitoring involves balancing resolution, revisit frequency, and cloud cover. This guide explores public optical, commercial optical, and SAR satellites to help match your needs to the best solution.
Oct 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Why Ocean Acidification Steals the Building Blocks of Shells and Skeletons
Ocean acidification is a chemical process where absorbed CO2 depletes carbonate ions, the essential building blocks for marine shells and skeletons. This chemical shift threatens marine ecosystems and has significant socio-economic impacts.
Oct 22, 2026 · 5 min read
Two Ways a Single Protein Complex Keeps Jumping Genes in Check
New research identifies the CCR4-NOT protein complex as a crucial guardian of the human genome. It employs a dual-layer defense system to suppress jumping genes by regulating repressor genes and controlling transposon RNA stability.
Oct 21, 2026 · 5 min read
Perovskite, Organic, or Quantum Dot? The Trade-offs Shaping the Next Generation of Solar Cells
Three emerging solar technologies—perovskite, organic, and quantum dot cells—are competing to challenge silicon's dominance, each with distinct trade-offs in efficiency, stability, and cost. Ultimately, long-term stability and scalability, not just peak lab efficiency, will determine which technology achieves commercial viability.
Oct 20, 2026 · 5 min read
Viral vs. Non-Viral Gene Delivery: Why No Single Vector Wins Every Therapy
Gene therapy delivery relies on either viral or non-viral vectors, each with distinct advantages and limitations. The optimal vector choice is a complex, product-specific decision balancing efficacy, safety, durability, and manufacturability.
Oct 18, 2026 · 6 min read
Three Discoveries That Are Rewriting the Story of Human Evolution
Recent discoveries in paleoanthropology are fundamentally rewriting the narrative of human evolution. Findings on Homo naledi, ancient DNA, and revised dating of Homo sapiens reveal a more complex, interconnected, and ancient human story than previously understood.
Oct 17, 2026 · 5 min read
How Comma-Free Codes Keep the Genetic Reading Frame on Track
The concept of comma-free codes, proposed by Francis Crick, offers an elegant solution to how cells maintain the correct reading frame when translating genetic information without punctuation. By ensuring that out-of-frame triplets are not valid codons, these codes prevent genetic chaos and ensure accurate protein synthesis.
Oct 16, 2026 · 5 min read
Madagascar's 'Moon Rock' Reveals Clues to Earth's Ancient Supercontinent
Madagascar's Saririaky anorthosite massif, a rock formation resembling lunar highlands, provides crucial insights into Earth's ancient supercontinent assembly. Studying this terrestrial analogue helps scientists understand planetary crust formation and evolution.
Oct 12, 2026 · 4 min read