Why the term GMO is 'scientifically meaningless'
Will GMOs destroy or save civilization?The headlines might paint a dramatic picture, but the reality is that GMOs — and the discussion around them — are more nuanced than many of us assume. And that...
View ArticleHow success saving the gray wolf may backfire on environmentalists
After years of systematic eradication by ranchers, the gray wolf was saved by the federal government in the 1990s. Authorities placed the wolf on the endangered species list and reintroduced it to the...
View ArticleA fall ritual in the US has become less toxic — but no less deadly
As millions of ducks, geese, and swans return from northern breeding grounds to their winter habitats in southern regions of North America, the long-standing tradition of waterfowl hunting begins. But...
View ArticleRepublican control of Congress may be a setback for big climate change...
After a pummeling at the hands of Republicans during Tuesday's midterm elections, President Barack Obama says he heard the message from voters: "Get the job done." Just maybe not on climate...
View ArticleMelting Arctic sea ice doubles the chances of harsh winters in other parts of...
A new study published in Nature Geoscience indicates the increased melting of Arctic sea ice is linked to colder winters in parts of Europe, Asia and North America.The study looked at a key region of...
View ArticleInternational coalition moves to take down the dark side of the web
You'll rarely hear anything about the "dark web," that space on the Internet where average people tend not to visit — or even know about. That is, unless you're in the market for illegal or dangerous...
View ArticleThese video chats helped thaw out the Cold War
The early 80s were an especially chilly time in the Cold War: President Ronald Reagan famously called the Soviets an "evil empire;" war in Afghanistan strained relations; a NATO exercise nearly sparked...
View ArticleEPA approves a new herbicide for GMO crops and lawsuits follow
A coalition of environmental groups and farmers is suing the EPA over its approval of Dow AgroSciences’ new crop herbicide, Enlist Duo. The lawsuit alleges inadequate environmental and health...
View ArticleAutomation in our jobs is both a blessing and a curse
Automation has moved beyond factories and is now changing many professions — and influencing our daily lives. Google returns search information in milliseconds, planes often operate on autopilot and...
View ArticleAn ornamental garden grass is causing problems along a wild, scenic river in...
On the banks of the Metolius River in central Oregon, large areas — even entire islands — are covered in a thin, green grass called ribbon grass. It’s a pretty, leafy plant — and it’s also an invasive...
View ArticleUS Internet speeds lag their international peers, but some cities are taking...
In the US, the median price for an internet connection is about $55 a month. The median speed for downloads is about 18 megabytes per second (MBps) and a paltry 4 MBps for uploading.In Hong Kong,...
View ArticleThis bike path is made entirely of solar panels
If you could get up on the roof of our offices in Boston, you'd be standing amongst a bunch of solar panels. That's not so unusual. But in The Netherlands, they're experimenting with putting solar...
View ArticleEurope makes history by putting its lander safely down on a speeding comet
European Space Agency scientists were giddy today after they finally heard from Philae, the small spacecraft they designed to land on the speeding 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet.Touchdown! Min nya...
View ArticleBarack Obama and Xi Jinping look to a future with lower carbon emissions
Sino-American relations are fraught with stubborn disagreements. Cyber crime, human rights, press freedom and the ongoing protests in Hong Kong are all on the list. The governments of the world’s two...
View ArticleA new study pieces together the puzzle of insect evolution
A new study of insect evolution — the largest of its kind ever undertaken — has uncovered some surprising new information, confirmed some long-held hypotheses and may lead researchers toward a more...
View ArticleIs the Internet equal around the world?
“Net neutrality” — you hear those two words a lot these days.President Obama is for it."An open Internet is essential to the American economy, and increasingly to our very way of life," writes the...
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This new scientific journal is kind of like YouTube, but without the cats
When Israeli Moshe Pritsker was in grad school, working on embryonic stem cells, his professor asked him to reproduce an experiment that had been published in a highly respected biology journal.“So I’m...
View ArticleGoogle is teaming up with environmental groups to help fight illegal fishing
Google will team up with SkyTruth, a digital mapping organization, and Oceana, a marine advocacy group, in an initiative to fight illegal fishing.They're planning to create an interactive tool called...
View ArticleGeorge Washington Carver overcame segregation and Jim Crow laws to become one...
Earlier this month, scientists gathered at Tuskegee University in Alabama to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of George Washington Carver, and to celebrate his scientific innovations.Carver was...
View ArticleAs fracking booms, waste spills rise — and so do arsenic levels in groundwater
Janice Dumont loves her drinking water.“Our well water is so good,” says the resident of Cecil Township, a Pennsylvania town just south of Pittsburgh. “I mean, it’s delicious, it’s cold, and there are...
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