Louisiana's much-needed plan to save its wetlands is short almost $50 billion
The state of Louisiana is in trouble: The Mississippi River Delta is disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico at the rate of 16 square miles a year — some of the fastest land loss on the planet.These bayou...
View ArticleExciting new ideas in space technology are getting short-changed by Congress
While new technologies for planetary science and space exploration show great promise, the budget for space technology got short shrift in the spending bill recently passed by Congress.“The space...
View ArticleWhat I've learned after my Mom got hacked (and her data held for ransom)
So my Mom got hacked, and the hackers demanded ransom to get her precious data (and photos) back. After an odyssey, chronicled here, here are a few things I've learned.Q. After the hack and ransom,...
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After a long, cold journey, NASA's New Horizons probe has Pluto in its sights
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is finally approaching Pluto after what's essentially been a quiet, nine-year drive in space. Ironically, the mission launched one on January 19, 2006 — shortly before...
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Winter may be knocking on your window, but 2014 was the warmest on record
You don't have to look hard to find evidence that the earth is warming up. In fact, you have to look pretty hard to find something that suggests that the earth isn’t warming up.You have to look past...
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When sperm and egg unite — sparks (of zinc) really do fly
Romantic chemistry can be hard to quantify, but when sperm and egg meet, sparks do fly — in the form of billions and billions of zinc atoms, that is.Every cell in nature that we know of contains zinc,...
View ArticleHow the Earth made its own water — out of rocks
Apparently it doesn't take Moses to make water from rock.Scientists have long believed that icy comets brought water to Earth. But Dr. Wendy Panero, an associate professor of earth sciences at Ohio...
View ArticleHere are six science experiments for cold winter days you should definitely...
When the cold and snow settles in for the winter, so begins the challenge of how to entertain your kids indoors for long stretches of time.Well, if you've got baking powder, a couple of lemons, a...
View ArticleOur emotions — and others' actions — heavily influence our decisions
The New Year can feel like the perfect opportunity to reinvent yourself — many people decide to go to the gym more often or to eat healthier foods. However, even with the greatest of intentions, New...
View ArticleEven with a GOP Congress, here's how a lame-duck Obama can help the environment
If you want to see any action in Washington over the next two years on energy and the environment, keep your eye on President Barack Obama.“On the energy and environment front, I'm not expecting much...
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Dusty roads in Costa Rica make for a sticky situation — literally
For the past two years, I've escaped Boston's January freeze by travelling south to Playa Guiones, a sleepy surfing town on the west coast of Costa Rica.There isn't much to it. There's a handful of...
View ArticleCool new tech toys debut at CES in Las Vegas
Last week, tech enthusiasts, business execs and journalists — some of them arriving in self-driving cars — congregated in Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show.Lauren Goode, a...
View ArticleDreaming up the car of the future is an actual job — here's how you do it
A robot car that drives itself might be closer to reality than you think.Nowadays, the world's largest auto companies are introducing self-driving cars, vehicles that are powered by water vapor, and...
View ArticleLook hard and you can see Comet Lovejoy lighting up the night sky
Is your New Year's resolution to stop staring down at your phone so much? Here's a reason to look up.Comet Lovejoy, a bright celestial ball of dust and ice probably born in the Oort Cloud, is currently...
View ArticleScientists say toddlers may be better problem-solvers than adults could ever...
We've all met those parents — the ones who brag about how smart their child is — and then you meet the genius toddler, who is sporting marker on his face and a glue stick up his nose. But those doting...
View ArticleWill the real Dread Pirate Roberts please stand up?
The Silk Road criminal trial is no session with Judge Judy, nor has it anything to do with ancient silk and spice trading routes to Asia. This trial is about massive online trade in illegal drugs via a...
View ArticleThe latest wave of tech startups are targeting the senior citizen set
There are more Americans 65 and older than ever before, but many businesses have overlooked this growing group — and their wallets.This isn’t a deliberate oversight. Often, young entrepreneurs are...
View ArticleKeep your nose warm this winter — the cold virus loves cold noses
New research seems to support what you probably heard your whole childhood: Bundle up, stay warm or you’ll catch your death of cold!As it turns out, your immune system turns sluggish in the cold, and...
View ArticleA bat-killing disease is even more destructive than previously thought
Bad news for bats: A new study on white-nose syndrome, which has killed more than five million bats in North America since 2008, reveals the disease starts its deadly progression well before any...
View ArticleDid Obama tip off reporters to the US hack of North Korea?
It's a whodunit. But not a very good one. And it took a few interviews to settle one dispute over "The Interview.'' Let's start: There's a Hollywood studio, a government spy agency and the dictator...
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