Science
The Decades-Long Struggle to Protect Venice From Worsening Floods
The wind was stirring up the sea around Venice, Italy, threatening a high tide of more than 4 feet. Normally, that would be enough to inundate half the city, leaving tourists to
A New Cooling Technology Protects Against Severe Heat and Viral Spread
In the face of dangerous heat waves this summer, Americans have taken shelter in air-conditioned cooling centers. Normally, that would be a wise choice, but during a pandemic, indoor shelters present new risks. The same
They Tried to Tame the Klamath River. They Filled It With Toxic Algae Instead. (VIDEO)
The Karuk people define themselves by the Klamath River, just as the Romans did the Tiber or the Egyptians did the Nile. The word “Karuk” means “upstream,” a reference to the waterway, which runs from
Bill Nye: We Are Failing a National Test of Science Literacy
The United States is facing two massive threats — climate change and the coronavirus — that we cannot solve without science. One is playing out slowly, over decades, growing inexorably worse as
Toxic Algae Are a Menace. Humans Are Giving Them Ammunition.
Matteo Farinella is a neuroscientist-turned-cartoonist who uses comics to explain science. You can follow him @matteofarinella. Jeremy Deaton writes for Nexus Media, a nonprofit climate change news service. You can follow him @deaton_jeremy.
Climate Change Is Sowing Chaos Up and Down the Mississippi River (VIDEO)
This story was produced in collaboration with PBS News Hour. Over the centuries the United States has deployed vast fortunes and an untold number of workers to divert, dam and contain the
A New Ozone Hole? Climate Change Could Be To Blame.
You may have heard about the hole in the ozone layer, which hovers over Antarctica. It has shrunk over time thanks to policies that curbed the use of ozone-depleting chemicals. In the
Climate Change Could Help Spread the Coronavirus
While there is some preliminary evidence that sunlight, heat and humidity could slow the spread of the coronavirus, the summer months also promise a host of new risks, The Washington Post reports.
Anti-Immigration Policies Are Hurting the COVID-19 Fight
A prominent Asian virologist with longstanding ties to the United States was making plans to attend a conference here when he learned he couldn’t get a visa. It was the first time
The Dazzling Ocean Reefs Hidden Beneath Oil Rigs
The 2010 BP oil spill dumped more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, where it killed billions of fish. Had things gone as planned, that oil
Are We Screwed On Climate Change?
If you are a climate scientist, you are likely to hear the same question, again and again, from inquiring minds at weddings, bar mitzvahs, birthday parties and cocktail hours — are we screwed? It’s
Methane Levels Reach an All-Time High
A preliminary estimate from NOAA finds that levels of atmospheric methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, have hit an all-time high. Methane is roughly 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and while
Coronavirus Shows How to Fight Lies About Climate Change
With both coronavirus and climate change, misconceptions abound. In each instance, people have downplayed the impact or blamed China, and many believe that news outlets are exaggerating the threat. But with coronavirus,
Thawing Permafrost Is Letting Scientists Study Long-Dead Diseases
For decades, the Inuit woman, a victim of the 1918 Spanish flu, lay buried in a mass grave under six feet of Alaskan permafrost. But when the frozen ground began to thaw
As California Forests Heat Up, Birds Are Flocking to Higher Ground
Forests are critical to slowing climate change because they soak up huge amounts of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Birds help keep forests healthy by eating insects that spread tree-killing diseases. Birds also scatter
Scientists Use Underwater Speakers to Lure Fish to Dead Reefs
A healthy coral reef sounds like a bowl of Rice Krispies in milk. Snap. Crackle. Pop. “Thousands of invertebrates make this constant crackling, sizzling, static-like sound as … shrimp snap their claws and
Worsening Weather Could Make Life Miserable for Lupus Patients
Rheumatologist George Stojan says that many of his lupus patients know their joints are going to swell or go stiff when the weather shifts, particularly when the temperature or humidity changes. It