David Attenborough, Crude Oil, and Bioremediation

Plus, repelling water with magnets

Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 5, and welcome to this week's Science & Technology newsletter. First time reading? Sign up here or click here to share with friends.

In honor of Sir David Attenborough, who turns 100 this Friday, we're starting this week's newsletter with a look at the celebrated natural historian, whose television and film documentaries on Earth's wildlife and biomes have been seen by hundreds of millions since the mid-1950s.

Inspired by his work in raising awareness of environmental threats and conservation efforts, we're also taking a look at crude oil and how global reliance on it extends well beyond fuel production, as well as bioremediation, which has been used to limit and repair damage from oil spills and other environmental disasters.

Let us know what you think! Whether it's feedback on our email format, a comment on this week's topics, suggestions for future coverage, or something else, we're happy to hear from readers. You can get in touch by simply replying to this email.

—Marco Daniel Machado, 1440 Science & Technology Section Editor

Earth's Storyteller

Who is David Attenborough?

David Frederick Attenborough is a broadcaster and writer, best known for presenting documentary series and films on the natural world. With his narrative storytelling style and use of cutting-edge technology, Attenborough has engaged audiences across a career spanning over seven decades. Alongside being knighted twice, winning four Emmy Awards, and having over 50 species named after him, Attenborough remains the only person to have won BAFTAs for programming in black-and-white, color, HD, 3D, and 4K.

Born in 1926, Attenborough developed a passion for nature through his collection of fossils and geological specimens as a child, which grew as he pursued studies of geology and zoology at Cambridge (watch personal account). After being turned down for a role at BBC Radio, he was offered a job in its new television service and, in 1954, became the producer and host of "Zoo Quest," an animal-collecting expedition series. By 1965, he was responsible for programming on BBC Two, including commissioning "Monty Python's Flying Circus," but left his executive role to return to making shows.

His 1979 "Life on Earth" series, which documented over 600 species using pioneering microphotography, time-lapse photography, and high-speed cameras, was watched by an estimated 500 million people and established Attenborough as the premier natural historian. Through subsequent series—most notably "Planet Earth"—Attenborough continues to feature wildlife and ecosystems, while advocating for and highlighting threats to their preservation.

Learn even more by exploring all our findings on David Attenborough here.

Here's a sample of what we found ...

> Before David Attenborough suggested the use of fluorescent yellow, tennis balls were white or black. (Watch)

> Take a virtual tour of the Royal Research Ship named after David Attenborough. (Explore)

> A collector of world music, hear Attenborough's recordings of musical performances he witnessed during his productions around the world. (Listen)

> The iconic moment when gorillas sat on David Attenborough. (Watch)

Black Gold

Crude Oil, 101

Crude oil is the world's primary energy resource. Predominantly composed of molecules of hydrogen and carbon, the mixture formed when microorganisms, such as algae and plankton, were compressed and heated under layers of sediment for millions of years (watch explainer). Although used as early as 3,000 BCE to waterproof boats, crude oil was not widely extracted and refined until the mid-19th century, when it increasingly transformed society as a raw material for fuels, plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Engineers find oil reservoirs by mapping subterranean contents using a variety of techniques, including gravity, magnetic, and seismic reflection surveys, before drilling a well for extraction (watch example). Because the extracted oil is "crude"—an unsorted mix of hydrocarbons—refineries typically boil it to produce a vapor mixture. In a fractional distillation tower, where temperature decreases with altitude, these vapors are sorted into layers as they condense back into liquid at distinct heights (see visualization).

Once distilled, sorted hydrocarbons are separately processed into useful petroleum products. This includes cracking, which breaks larger molecules into smaller ones, like the building blocks for plastics, and reforming, which makes the various octane blends available at gas stations (watch explainer). These processes, along with leaks and spills, are sources of toxic pollutants that can cause significant environmental damage and adverse health effects for those living near refineries.

Learn even more by exploring all our findings on Crude Oil here.

Here's a sample of what we found ...

> Aspirin, polyester, chewing gum, and other objects you might be surprised to learn are derived from crude oil. (View)

> Decommissioned oil rigs have been used to create artificial reefs for marine life. (Watch)

> How do we get 45 gallons of refined products from each 42-gallon barrel of crude oil? (View)

> If the US exports crude oil, why can't it just use what it extracts rather than rely on other countries and volatile global oil markets? (Watch)

Nature's Cleanup Crews

Bioremediation, explained

Bioremediation is the use of organisms to clean up pollutants. Having adapted to environments with complex chemical compositions over millions of years, many of these organisms developed enzymes that can convert harmful contaminants into substances that natural systems can more easily dispose of. Bioremediation is eco-friendly and can be more affordable than other solutions, but it often takes longer and is ineffective against many common synthetic materials (learn why).

Bioremediation processes can be categorized according to the organisms involved. Microbial bioremediation uses bacteria to break down chemicals found in substances such as crude oil and solvents, while phytoremediation uses plants, including those that detoxify soil and water by absorbing heavy metals and pesticides. Mycoremediation, a fungi-based approach, has been used to decompose industrial dyes, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals into usable nutrients and biodegradable substances.

While these are safer than traditional remediation efforts involving treatment facilities or harsh chemicals during cleanups, they may require specific additives. These nontoxic substances, such as molasses and vegetable oil, optimize the environment for the organisms involved to thrive in, but they also increase bioremediation costs. Research is ongoing to identify more organisms with enzymes that will expand the viability of bioremediation across more scenarios (learn more).

Learn even more by exploring all our findings on Bioremediation here.

Here's a sample of what we found ...

> Fungi have been used to clean up toxic ash from the 2025 California wildfires. (Watch)

> A Supreme Court case over an oil-eating microbe established patent law for genetically modified organisms. (Watch)

> How phytoremediation contributed to sunflowers becoming a symbol of nuclear disarmament. (Watch)

> The plant that absorbs so many heavy elements that it bleeds metal. (Watch)

Science Spotlight

Like all great scientists, we love spending time researching the latest scientific breakthroughs, tech releases, engaging explainers, and the connections between science and society that are making headlines. Here's what we found this week.

> The highlights and winners from one of this year's 3 Minute Thesis competitions

Stanford University | Staff. 3MT calls on PhD students to distill their scholarly work, which may involve years of research, into a three-minute presentation for a general audience. The challenge is intended to help doctoral students refine their communication skills ahead of future investment or public speaking events. (Read)

> Warming Alaskan waters drive invasive pike to consume more native species

University of Alaska Fairbanks | Jeff Richardson. According to an analysis of northern pike caught in Southcentral Alaska, every age class of the species ate more fish as temperatures rose, likely because it can boost the metabolism of predators, leading to more aggressive feeding. A hungrier population could imperil native salmon and other fish species in the region. (Read | Learn about Invasive Species)

> Testing electromagnetic thrusters that run on lithium metal vapor

NASA | Melissa Pamer. The prototype passed an initial test at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in February and achieved power levels exceeding the highest-power electric thrusters on any of the agency's existing spacecraft. As part of a nuclear electric propulsion system, lithium-fed thrusters are expected to reduce the launch mass and support payloads required for human Mars missions. (Read | Learn about NASA)

> Antarctica's mass has increased, despite accelerating glacier melt

European Space Agency | Staff. Satellite data revealed that net annual ice losses from the continent began in 2002, but switched to a net gain from 2020 to 2024. Models show that higher atmospheric temperatures can hold more water and produce more snowfall, accounting for the change. For now, this effect is delicately balanced with ice discharge from icebergs splitting, which has increased every year compared to the previous two decades. (Read | Learn about Earth's Atmosphere)

> New desert dust research may improve weather and climate forecasting

UCLA | Alison Hewitt. Scientists found that airborne dust traps about twice as much heat as climate models have estimated, or about 10% of the warming effect of human-emitted carbon dioxide. Dust's overall climate effect remains uncertain since sunlight reflection partly offsets this warming. (Read | Learn about Climatology)

Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of science and technology.

Read:

> Why time runs faster on the moon than on Earth, and why it may need its own time zone.

> When clouds look like rainbows: cloud iridescence, explained.
> What makes some glaciers surge and move over half a football field every day.
> Science fiction may take us to the "edge of the galaxy," but where exactly is the edge of the Milky Way?

Watch:

> How can snakes eat animals that are much larger than they are?

> Tennis pros are so picky about choosing the right ball before serving because of fluff drag.

> An at-home experiment that demonstrates how magnets repel water.

> How to draw a shape with a finite area and an infinite perimeter.

Explore:

> See if your state is among the roughly 30 with unsafe levels of exposure to radioactive gas.

> Simulate the impact of an antimatter bomb around the world.

Thank you to our readers for inspiring us with their questions! Curious about something in science and technology? Tell us here.

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David Attenborough, Crude Oil, and Bioremediation