To what extent should we attempt to tame nature, in the name of personal comfort? Already our homes are purpose-built to keep out weather and provide interior climate control. We commute in vehicles that keep us cool in summer and warm in winter. We shop, dine and view entertainment in temperature-controlled facilities.While camping, and attending outdoor events like barbecues and music festivals, we're at the mercy of the elements. Many would say that's an integral part of the experience. But for those who find the lack of comfort, the lack of control over nature, intolerable, there are companies ready to sell you a solution.Solo Stove, the outdoor gear manufacturer known for their smokeless fire pits, has expanded into other camping gear. Their new offering is the Solo Windchill 47, a drinks cooler with a built-in air conditioner. That you use outside. "At the push of a button, it turns icy temps inside the cooler into frigid, dry air-conditioning—thanks to a built-in heat exchanger, high-powered fan, and water pump," the company writes. "And yes, it's real air-conditioning. Upgrade your cooler setup with the Solo Windchill 47 to keep the chill coming—anytime, anywhere." You can also use it to charge your phone (of course). While I find the product obscene, that's due to my personal preferences. I live on a rural property, enjoy being outside and try to work with nature, accepting that I will get sweaty when I'm working outside in July. While there is an element of mild suffering to it, it makes that moment when you take a break inside, and feel the cool air of an A/C or a fan, that much sweeter.However, Solo Stove is based in Texas, which experiences more 100-degree-plus days than my region; perhaps Texans view summer as a war on their comfort. And for plenty of Americans, I'm guessing hauling around a 40-plus-pound cooler with built-in lithium ion batteries is a small price to pay for keeping cool. Even at $650 to $700 depending on battery options, the Windchill 47 will find a ready market. "Glampers" will be thrilled.

“APPstinence,” which as you may have guessed, refers to abstaining from using your apps, is a movement encouraging people to get off social media and become less attached to their smartphones. It was founded by Harvard graduate student Gabriela Nguyen. The 24-year-old, who grew up in the center of Big Tech in Silicon Valley, realized she was addicted to both social media and her phone, probably from an early age, so she decided to something about it and started a club at the Ivy League school for her fellow students, along with the website APPstinence. Aimed at her Gen Z and Gen Alpha peers — although it applies to everyone who feels they have an unhealthy relationship with tech (which is basically all of us, right?) — APPstinence forgoes popular quick fixes like screen time controls, algorithm hacking, or digital detoxes, and offers something much more radical: a five-step method (which sounds Alcohol Anonymous’ 12-step program) to free yourself once-and-for-all from the chains of technology addiction. Appstinence’s 5-steps method can be summed up in just as many words: Decrease, Deactivate, Delete, Downgrade, and Depart. The point of this process is to reduce the sources of stimulus gradually. The idea isn’t to be completely phone-free, but to eventually be able, over time, to downgrade to some type of dumb-ish phone without social accounts. (Nguyen herself has three dumb phones, including the Light Phone.) According to her, people, and Gen Z specifically, should know they have the choice to opt out of social media. How does the process work? Sure, quitting cold turkey is hard. (Am I the only person who regularly deletes Instagram off my phone, only to reload it at 1:00 a.m in a panic?) Instead, Nguyen’s 5D Method decreases your usage incrementally, by deactivating your social media accounts one-by-one, which automatically deletes your apps 30 days later, allowing you to downgrade your phone, and finally depart from the digital world. Interested in trying it out? Here’s a full breakdown of the steps. Before you start: Make a list of family and friends you are in regular contact with, and who are important for you. Let each know, one-by-one, you’ll be moving offline and to reach you by text or phone instead. Step #1, Decrease: Delete all of the apps from your smartphone, and only access them through the browser on your laptop. Unfollow non-essential accounts and turn off non-essential notifications. After a few weeks, you can move to the next step. Step #2, Deactivate: Social media apps have a 30-day deactivation period before your account is deleted. Start by deactivating the app you feel you use the least. Step #3, Delete: As your accounts automatically delete in 30 days, spend this time strengthening your connections in the real world, for example, exercising, calling your relatives, hanging out with friends, or reading. Refer to your list from before you started. Set a regular schedule to call loved ones (or text, if necessary) and propose a time to hang out in person. Doing this regularly will help you stay connected with the people that matter, and more intimately so. If you panic during this withdrawal stage, re-activate, it’s not a race. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you’ve deleted the last app. Step #4, Downgrade: Get a “transition device” like a low-fi smart phone with limited functionality, something cheap that will allow you to access the basic apps you need (banking, Double Factor Authentication for students, QR codes) and keep it shut off in your bag on outings when you may need it. Also get a flip phone, which you should use most of the time. Step #5, Depart: It could take several weeks, months, or over a year to get to this final stage.

If you use the internet, you've probably had at least some personal information go missing. It's just the nature of the web. But this latest discovery, as reported by Wired, is something different. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler found a public online database housing over 180 million records (184,162,718 to be exact) which amounted to more than 47GB of data. There were no indications about who owned the data or who placed it there, which Fowler says is atypical for these types of online databases. Fowler saw emails, usernames, passwords, and URLs linking to the sites where those credentials belonged. These accounts included major platforms like Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Roblox, Apple, Discord, Nintendo, Spotify, Twitter, WordPress, Yahoo, and Amazon, as well as bank and financial accounts, health companies, and government accounts from at least 29 countries. That includes the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, India, Israel, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. Fowler sent a responsible disclosure notice to the hosting provider of the database, World Host Group. Fowler was able to detect signs that the credentials here were stolen with infostealer malware, which bad actors use to harvest sensitive information from a variety of platforms—think web browsers, email services, and chat apps. Following Fowler's notice, World Host Group restricted the database from public access. The provider told Wired that the database was operated by a customer, a "fraudulent user" who uploaded illegal information to the server. In order to ensure these credentials were real, and not just a bunch of bogus data, Fowler actually contacted some of the email addresses he found in the database. He got some bites, and those users were able to confirm the records that he found associated with their emails. That's no guarantee that all 184,162,718 records are accurate, but it's a good sign that most are. As such, it's entirely possible you and I both had credentials exposed in this database. What's worse, Fowler says there's no telling how long the database was open to the public before his notice shut it down.There's a lot bad actors and hackers can do with this type of information. If they know the username and password combo to one of your accounts, they'll not only see if they can use it to break into that account, but they'll use it on other accounts of yours as well. If you reuse passwords, as many do, you could be facing a mass breach. It's bad enough when that concerns Facebook and Roblox accounts, but seeing as there were financial, health, and even government accounts here, the implications are huge.How to protect yourself If you don't have access to the database, you can't say for sure whether your credentials are listed there, or which credentials they have.Still, if you haven't changed the passwords for your accounts in some time, now might be a good time to do so. You don't need to change your passwords as frequently as traditional security advice has taught us, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to give your accounts a quick security audit. Make sure you're using a strong and unique password for each and every one of your accounts. If you repeat passwords, you run the risk of credential stuffing (hackers trying the same stolen password on multiple accounts). In order to keep tabs on those passwords, use a secure password manager. Make sure you're using two-factor authentication (2FA) on all of the accounts that allow it. That way, even if a password is exposed, hackers won't be able to break into your account without the device containing the 2FA code. To boost your security, avoid SMS-based 2FA when possible, and opt for more secure 2FA options, like an authenticator app or physical security key. If your account offers it, try a passkey to combine the convenience of a password with the security of 2FA.

What Can Cloud Storage Do for You?The best cloud storage services integrate nicely with other apps and online tools, making the experience of viewing and editing files stored online feel natural. You want the other software you use to be able to retrieve or access your content, so it's a big deal to make sure you use a service that easily integrates with your existing tools. Box and Dropbox are particularly strong in this regard.(Credit: Google/PCMag)The range of capabilities of cloud-based storage services is wider than you may realize. Many of them specialize in a specific area. For example, Dropbox focuses on keeping a synced folder accessible everywhere and sharing folders with colleagues outside your company. Proton Drive emphasizes secure cloud storage. If you mostly store images, you might want a storage service that specializes in hosting photos (two top options are Google Photos with a Google One account and Adobe Lightroom). Some cloud storage providers, such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft, are generalists, giving you folder and file syncing, media playing, device syncing, and backup. These products double as collaboration software because they let multiple people edit the same file in real time.Distinct from but overlapping in some cases with cloud storage are backup services, particularly ones that create online backups. Some of them, such as Acronis Cyber Protect, specialize in data protection and recovery, while others, like IDrive, combine data protection with syncing and sharing capabilities.Most cloud services offer some form of backup due to their intended function. Basically, any files uploaded to a cloud service are also protected from disk failures, since there are copies of them in the cloud. But dedicated backup services sometimes can create a full disk image of your machine so you can restore not just your files, but everything, including system settings and programs. Syncing, by contrast, is about backing up and managing selected files only.(Credit: Box/PCMag)What Is the 'Cloud' in Cloud Storage?There's a half-joke in the tech world: "There is no cloud. It's just someone else's computer." To clear up any confusion, the cloud part of cloud-based storage refers to storing files somewhere other than your computer's hard drive. Usually, it means the service provider's servers. Having data in the cloud allows you to access your files online. Your data is usually encrypted before making the journey over the internet to the provider's servers, and it remains encrypted while it lives on those servers. Recommended by Our EditorsWell-designed services don't upload a brand-new copy of your files whenever you change one little thing. Instead, the file syncing service looks for changes to your files and uploads only them, saving your connection bandwidth.(Credit: Dropbox/PCMag)You can access your cloud files through an app or utility software installed on your computer. Once it's installed, it usually shows a small notification icon and creates your synced folder structure that fits into Windows Explorer or the macOS Finder. You can also get to the files via your web browser. Of course, you need an internet connection for it to work, but if you are temporarily without a connection, that's okay. The service waits until the next time you do have a connection and takes care of business then. For a deeper explanation, see our explainer on cloud computing. Free vs. Paid Cloud StorageMany services give you free cloud storage as part of their entry-level account. They usually come with limitations, such as the amount of storage you get or a tight cap on the size of the files you can upload. We encourage you to sign up for the free tier of service first and try out the cloud service for several weeks before you commit to upgrading. This way, you can fully integrate the cloud service into your life for real-world testing. You get a feel for how it works and determine what might go wrong with your setup.(Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)What could possibly go wrong? Human error accounts for many cloud storage tragedies, but the dropped internet connection is another common troublemaker. Not to mention that every internet service suffers the occasional outage. Ask around (or just look through our review comments), and you'll hear sad stories of how cloud storage can go wrong. One of the benefits of paying for an account is that it usually comes with additional support from the provider, so if anything goes wrong, someone from the company can help you resolve the issue.There are many other reasons to pay for cloud storage, from getting a lot more space (a terabyte doesn't cost all that much anymore) to being able to upload huge files. That last benefit is relevant to graphic designers, video editors, and other visual artists who often host enormous files. Other perks of paying for your cloud storage often include increased access to file-version history (meaning you can restore an important business proposal to the version you had before your colleague made a bunch of erroneous changes), more security, and more features for collaboration and teamwork.

Start SlideshowStart SlideshowImage: Games Workshop / KotakuIf you were worried that Warhammer’s crossover into gaming may have peaked, I’ve got good news. The Warhammer Skulls 2025 video game showcase was full of teases, trailers, and announcements for tons of new stuff. The tabletop miniatures franchise and its deep, bloody universe of sci-fi and fantasy storytelling continues to thrive across every genre imaginable, from real-time strategy to, uh, retro typing boomer shooters? Also the original 40K: Space Marine is back with a 4K glow-up. Here’s every big Warhammer announcement we got today.Previous SlideNext Slide2 / 13List slidesTotal War: Warhammer III’s next DLC is Tides of TormentList slidesTotal War: Warhammer III’s next DLC is Tides of TormentThe latest Lords Pack arrives in summer 2025 alongside new units, gameplay mechanics, and additional free content. Previous SlideNext Slide3 / 13List slidesWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun gets a sequelList slidesWarhammer 40,000: Boltgun gets a sequelThe excellent pixel art boomer shooter returns with Boltgun 2. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in 2026. In the meantime fans can sink their armored fists into Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Words of Vengeance, a free-to-play shadow drop that turns the FPS into an old-school typing game. Previous SlideNext Slide4 / 13List slidesThe original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine will be remastered List slidesThe original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine will be remastered A Master Crafted Edition of the Xbox-360-era cult classic will arrive on June 10 (available through Xbox Game Pass) with 4K graphics, modern controls, and improvements to the interface, characters, and audio. First-time fans of last year’s Space Marine 2 can see where it all started while they bide their time for a promised sequel. Previous SlideNext Slide5 / 13List slidesWarhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader’s second story expansion is almost here List slidesWarhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader’s second story expansion is almost here Lex Imperialis is the next DLC and it’s coming out June 24. The 2023 CRPG will have a new 15-hour storyline campaign focused on the Adeptus Arbites faction.Previous SlideNext Slide6 / 13List slidesWarhammer: 40,000: Dark Heresy is a new CRPG in the worksList slidesWarhammer: 40,000: Dark Heresy is a new CRPG in the worksThe studio behind Rogue Trader, Owlcat Games, also revealed Dark Heresy, its next role-playing game in the Warhammer 40K universe, a party-based investigation of grand conspiracies about waging “a secret war against heresy.” There’s no release date yet but it’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Previous SlideNext Slide7 / 13List slidesWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's long-awaited horde mode is out next monthList slidesWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's long-awaited horde mode is out next monthSiege mode pits players against wave after wave of Tyranid and Chaos on Kadaku. Teams of up to three players will be able to earn new rewards in the horde onslaught as well as rank up just like they would through existing Operations. They can also call in Dreadnought mechs for support during matches. Previous SlideNext Slide8 / 13List slidesDid you know there’s a Warhammer racing game?List slidesDid you know there’s a Warhammer racing game?Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks just hit its 1.0 release on Steam. The full launch brings player-hosted servers, solo play, 150 new items to unlock and the end of in-game, shop-based microtransactions. The vehicular chaos sim is moving to discrete DLC packs instead. Previous SlideNext Slide9 / 13List slidesClassic RTS Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War returns List slidesClassic RTS Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War returns Relic Entertainment has resurrected its beloved 2000s-era real-time strategy game with a Definitive Edition that’s coming to PC later this year. It sounds like there might be some graphical upgrades and usability tweaks, but otherwise it will mostly be the same game operating under the hood. Old-school RTS fans are eating well right now, and hopefully it can serve as inspiration for an eventual Dawn of War 4. Previous SlideNext Slide10 / 13List slidesSupremacy is a new Warhammer 40,000 multiplayer strategy game for mobileList slidesSupremacy is a new Warhammer 40,000 multiplayer strategy game for mobileIt seems like it will be a Warhammer 40K-coded version of Supremacy 1914, a map-based strategy game about high-level army management. It’ll take place on the brutal battlefields of Vigilus and players can pre-register on the App and Google Play stores starting today. Previous SlideNext Slide11 / 13List slidesWarhammer 40,000: Darktide’s first new paid DLC class has arrivedList slidesWarhammer 40,000: Darktide’s first new paid DLC class has arrivedFatshark’s 2022 multiplayer FPS that swaps Vermintide 2's bloody castles for the industrial hellscape of Atoma Prime has finally turned a corner after a rough launch and a long rebuilding phase. With a good foundation now underfoot, the loot shooter is adding the Arbitrator class, a ruthless enforcer with a cyborg hound at its side. It goes live June 23. Previous SlideNext Slide12 / 13List slidesWarhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 reveals first gameplay trailerList slidesWarhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 reveals first gameplay trailerThe sequel to Bulwark Games’ 2018 XCOM-style turn-based tactics RPG is out on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC later this year, and we now have a better look at what’s new this time around. The trailer shows a glimpse of tactical skirmishes and unit customization. Mechanicus 2 will also be the first Warhammer video game to feature the Leagues of Votann.

Author I recently got intrigued by how certain online tools render terrain using dynamic color gradients to show depth or elevation changes, especially when visualizing geographical data or landscape layers on a 2D canvas. What caught my attention was how a color transition, say from green to brown to white, can subtly convey a mountain’s progression — and how much this alone can shape how we perceive space, depth, and realism without using any lighting or shadows. I’d love to dive deeper into the logic and techniques behind this and how it’s approached from a GPU programming perspective.One thing I started questioning is how effective and precise color-based elevation rendering is, especially when it comes to shader implementation. For instance, I observed that some tools use a simple gradient approach linked to altitude values, which works fine visually but might not reflect real-world depth unless tuned carefully. I tried assigning color ramps in fragment shaders, interpolated from DEM (digital elevation model) values, but it wasn’t quite as expressive as I expected — especially when transitioning over large terrain with small elevation variance.To simulate some form of perceptual realism, I began blending color ramps using noise functions to introduce a more organic transition, but I’m not confident this is the best way to approach it. I also played around with multi-step gradients, assigning different hue families per range (e.g., green under 500m, brown 500–1500m, grey and white above that), but it raises the question of universality — is there a standard or accepted practice for terrain color logic in shader design? Or should we just lean into stylized rendering if it communicates the structure effectively?Elevation itself refers to the height of a specific point on the Earth's surface relative to sea level. It’s a key component in any terrain rendering logic and often forms the foundation for visual differentiation of the landscape. When using an online elevation tool, the elevation values are typically mapped to colors or heightmaps to produce a more tangible view of the land’s shape. This numerical-to-visual translation plays a central role in how users interpret spatial data. I inspired from this idea positively because it proves that even raw altitude numbers can create an intuitive and informative visual experience.What I couldn’t figure out clearly is how people deal with the in-between areas — those subtle transitions where terrain rises or drops slowly — without making the result look blocky or washed out. I’ve attempted linear color interpolation based on normalized height values directly inside the fragment shader, and I’ve also experimented with stepping through fixed color zones. Both methods gave me somewhat predictable results, but neither satisfied the realism I was aiming for when zooming closer to the terrain.I also wonder about the performance side of this. If I rely on fragment shader-based rendering with multiple condition checks and interpolations, will that scale well on larger canvases or with more detailed elevation data? Or would pushing color values per-vertex and interpolating across fragments give a better balance of performance and detail? It’s not immediately clear to me which path is more commonly used or recommended.Another question I’ve been mulling over is whether a lookup table (LUT) would make more sense for GPU-side elevation rendering. If I store predefined biome and elevation color data in a LUT, is it practical to access and apply that in real-time shader logic? And if so, what’s the cleanest way to structure and query this LUT in a WebGL or GLSL environment?I’m looking to understand how others have approached this type of rendering, specifically when color is used to express terrain form based solely on elevation values. I’m especially curious about shader structure, transition smoothing methods, and how to avoid that “posterized” look when mapping heights to colors over wide areas. If you want to apply colors in the shader based on elevation, the standard approach would be to use a 1D texture as a lookup table. You then map elevation to texture coordinate in [0,1] and use that to sample the texture (which should use linear interpolation). You can do this per-vertex if you vertices are dense enough. This allows you to use arbitrarily complex gradients.However elevation-based coloring is not very flexible. It works for some situations but otherwise is not ideal. For more complicated and realistic colors there are two other options:Add Layers - e.g. you can have another texture for your terrain which alters color based on other properties like water depth or temperature, etc. This can be combined with the elevation-based coloring. This can be done in the shader but more layers result in slower rendering.Vertex colors - compute a color per-vertex on the CPU. This can use any approach to assign the colors. You pay a bit more memory but have a faster rendering. You may need more vertices to have fine details or if the terrain is steep.To make colors more diverse you can use other terrain attributes to affect the color:ElevationSlope (gradient magnitude) evaluated a certain scale.water depthclimate / biomefractal noiseI would have a 1D texture or gradient for each attribute and then blend them in some way. Use fractal noise to “dither” the results and break up banding artifacts.You also can combine colored terrain with texture variation. In my terrain system each vertex has a texture index from a texture array. I manually interpolate the textures from the 3 vertices of a triangle in the shader. Per-vertex texturing gives great flexibility, as I can have as many textures as slots in the texture array. To fully use such a system you need a way to assign textures based on material type (rock, dirt, grass, etc.). Slope-based texturing (e.g. slope 0-0.2 is grass, 0.2-0.4 is dirt, >0.4 is rock) is common but I use a much more complicated material system based on rock layers and erosion. I had a blog here but all the images got deleted:https://gamedev.net/blogs/entry/2284060-rock-layers-for-real-time-erosion-simulation/

News Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – Siege Mode Arrives on June 26th, First Gameplay Revealed The public test server for Saber Interactive's frenetic take on Horde Mode will go live for PC players via Steam on June 4th. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 23rd, May. 2025 Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive have officially dated Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s Horde-like mode. It’s called Siege Mode and debuts on June 26th, free for all players, though public test servers will become available on June 4th for PC. Check out the teaser trailer below. The goal of Siege is simple: Survive against waves and waves of Tyranid and Chaos enemies. You’ll earn points with each wave and can spend them on Medicae Stimms, equipment charges, ammo, or AI-controlled Astartes. The Dreadnought is also available to help you wreak havoc. At least until a Hierophant Bio-Titan shows up to ruin your life. Up to three players can jump into Siege, though a solo option will likely be available. It’s unknown if multiple difficulty tiers or rewards are available, so stay tuned for more details. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition, a remaster of the original, is also out next month on June 10th for $39.99. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Borderlands 4 Publisher:2K Developer:Gearbox Entertainment Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – Siege Mode Arrives on June 26th, First Gameplay Revealed The public test server for Saber Interactive's frenetic take on Horde Mode will go live for PC players via Ste... Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition Launches June 10th on Xbox Series X/S and PC The remaster includes all the DLC, modernized controls, 4K resolution support, improved textures, an overhaule... State of Play Reportedly Planned for June – Rumor After reportedly going back and forth on a PlayStation Showcase or State of Play, Sony has seemingly settled o... Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Announced by Rogue Trader Developer Coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, Owlcat's next RPG ventures to the Calixis Sector to investigate corrup... Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Includes New Version of Iconic “Snake Eater” Theme Cynthia Harrell, who sang the original, returns. A small preview is available in the latest Metal Gear Solid L... Intergalactic Director Isn’t Phased by Negative Reaction to Protagonist Neil Druckmann spoke about how, despite some of the backlash about Intergalactic's protagonist, the studio wil... View More

Adelie penguins on sea ice off the Antarctic PeninsulaAshley Cooper pics/Alamy Fumes of ammonia rising from piles of droppings in Antarctica’s crowded penguin colonies help boost the formation of clouds, which have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight away from the surface. “This demonstrates a deep connection between the ecosystem and atmospheric processes,” says Matthew Boyer at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Advertisement The link comes down to the way ammonia affects the number of particles in the atmosphere. In order to form a cloud, water vapour must condense around a sizeable particle of some kind. But those are hard to come by in Antarctica’s cold, clean air. Without much dust, vegetation or air pollution around, most of the particles available for a would-be cloud are clusters of sulphuric acid molecules generated as a result of natural emissions from phytoplankton in waters around the continent. High concentrations of ammonia were already known to accelerate the formation of these clusters a thousand-fold. But where would ammonia come from in Antarctica? Penguin droppings should be a rich source. To check this, Boyer and his colleagues measured concentrations of ammonia, sulphuric acid and larger particles in the air several kilometres downwind of a 60,000-strong colony of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) on the Antarctic Peninsula. “They smell terrible,” says Boyer. “They’re dirty birds.” Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month. Sign up to newsletter When wind was blowing from the direction of the colony, they found ammonia concentrations rose far above the levels found in air arriving from other directions. This rise in ammonia also boosted the formation of particles of sulphuric acid large enough for water to condense around them, and presumably to form clouds. This effect persisted for weeks after the penguins had moved on from the colony. More clouds, especially over the ocean, would have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight away from Earth’s surface. Boyer says this also implies that a decline in penguin populations – for instance, due to sea ice loss driven by climate change – could have a warming effect across Antarctica by reducing cloud cover. However, the measurements taken in the current work aren’t enough to estimate the size of the effect. Other research suggests it could be significant. For instance, Jeffrey Pierce at Colorado State University and his colleagues found ammonia from puffin excretions in the Arctic similarly boosted cloud cover during summer. They estimated this resulted in a cooling effect that cancelled as much as a third of the warming due to carbon dioxide in the air across the region. “I’m sure it makes some impact,” says Pierce. Journal reference:Communications Earth and Environment DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02312-2 Topics: