Can fracking solve the problem of polluted mine water in Pennsylvania?
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure — and that may be the case when it comes to water quality in Pennsylvania.The state is a center of the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) boom. But there are also...
View ArticleTake a vacation. Your brain will thank you
For many Americans, including President Barack Obama, August is a month for vacation, a time to escape the daily grind and get away. But for a growing number of workers, taking time off is a luxury...
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It turns out turtles have something to say
Researcher Camila Ferrara admits she felt a little stupid while sitting on the beach hour after hour with a microphone pointed at some turtle eggs buried in the sand.Ferrara was trying to capture the...
View ArticleIceland's largest volcano might blow its stack
If you're in Iceland this week, the forecast is for a very strong indication of magma movement east of Bárðarbunga caldera. Seriously.In English, that means Iceland’s Bárðarbunga volcano could be about...
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This Ohio greenhouse is taking cues on growing orchids from the masters — the...
Along with its windmills, and canals, Holland holds a title as the reigning capital of the flower world. But the greenhouse expertise of the Dutch is now helping to make a US-based grower a powerhouse...
View ArticleVirtual reality devices are getting pretty damn close to reality
Virtual Reality is back again — perhaps for real, this time.Luke Groskin, a video producer for PRI’s Science Friday, recently tested out a new virtual reality device called the Oculus Rift, from the...
View ArticleEven your medical records aren't safe. Chinese group hacks into hospital's...
Military equipment and private-sector trade secrets are well-known targets of China’s state-sponsored cyber espionage program. But there’s now a new target for an elite Chinese hacking outfit known as...
View ArticleCoral reefs can communicate with fish, and many of them are crying for help
If you go snorkeling off the coast of Fiji in the south Pacific, you'll run into gorgeous coral reefs full of color, sound and texture. There are big boulder-like corals, branching spiky corals, fish...
View ArticleEven when you're losing, slot machines boost your morale — and casino profits
There’s a lot more to slot machines than just pushing a button or pulling a lever and hearing the clink of coins: Thanks to some complicated algorithms and talented behavioral scientists, slots are now...
View ArticleThe 'vampire plant' is even more nefarious than scientists thought
A parastic vine nicknamed the "vampire plant" sounds scary enough, but new research is finding that the dodder plant is even more devious than previously thought.The dodder earned its sinister nickname...
View ArticleClimate change and drought are forcing us to upgrade our water systems
Climate change predictions and areas of severe drought in the US and around the globe have put water high on the list of global crises. The answer is "Water 4.0," argues David Sedlak, a professor of...
View ArticleOld-school farming methods could save the planet
What if there were a simple solution to fighting climate change right under our feet? In her new book, The Soil Will Save Us, journalist and writer Kristin Ohlson says there is.“The soil has been...
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Rising sea levels mean trouble for Vietnam's rice farmers
It’s mid-season here in Soc Trang Province, Vietnam. The fields are full, and under an easy monsoon wind, the crop rolls like massive emerald sheets.Out here with his rice — that’s where Hai Thach...
View ArticleResearchers discover microbial life deep beneath Antarctic ice
For the first time, researchers have proven the existence of microorganisms half a mile below the icy surface of Antarctica.“It's the first definitive evidence that there's not only life but active...
View ArticleRising carbon dioxide levels may reduce the nutritional value of important foods
A study in the journal Nature finds that rising concentrations of carbon dioxide threaten global human nutrition by significantly reducing the levels of nutrients important to human health.Researchers...
View ArticleNeanderthals and modern humans co-existed in Europe for several thousand years
A new study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that humans and Neanderthals could have lived side by side in Europe for up to 5,000 years, much longer than previously believed.William Davies,...
View ArticleAtlantic Ocean currents may be moderating global air temperatures
The foundational theory undperinning climate science says accumulating greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, methane and ozone trap heat within the Earth’s atmosphere. Yet, despite the continued rise...
View ArticleThe long-extinct passenger pigeon might get the Jurassic Park treatment
Everybody loves a comeback, right? Well, science might have the craziest comeback story yet. Scientists are working on a way to make the once-abundant passenger pigeon de-extinct.Passenger pigeons were...
View ArticleScotland launches the world's largest tidal power project
Scotland is beginning the installation of what will ultimately become the world’s largest tidal power station in the Pentland Firth near the Orkney Islands.“The focus here is very much on creating a...
View ArticleA former critic of genetically modified crops changes his tune and sings the...
Nearly all of the food you eat has been genetically modified in some way — from seedless grapes, sweet corn, and plump tomatoes, to perfectly round chickens and turkeys that are nearly all meat.Animals...
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