How a water crisis opened an unlikely connection between the US and Iran
Iran has been in the throes of a water crisis for the past 16 years. Just two years ago, a study by the World Resources Institute ranked Iran as the world's 24th-most water-stressed nation.The...
View ArticleThese butterflies aren't ordinary males and females
This is no ordinary butterfly collection. It’s a showcase of blue morphos (Morpho didius), a species native to the forests of South America whose wings — especially the males’ — are famed for their...
View ArticleChemical blasts in a Chinese port city raise questions about safety
Chemical explosions in the Chinese port city of Tianjin sent enormous fireballs and thick acrid smoke into the air on Thursday, shattering windows miles away. The death toll climbed to at least 50 on...
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Researchers are on the hunt to find a more environmentally friendly...
The fate of the world’s oceans may rest inside a stainless steel tank not quite the size of a small beer keg. Inside, genetically modified bacteria turn corn syrup into a churning mass of polymers that...
View ArticleHow many floods will these American cities have in 2030, 2045?
We know now that America's East and Gulf Coasts will be flooding more in upcoming years because of climate change. But how much? And how do you show that in a way that people can understand?That's what...
View ArticleTen years later, the lessons of Hurricane Katrina apply to all of us
Mark Schleifstein wrote the book on Hurricane Katrina — before it ever happened. As a reporter for NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, he published a series of articles in 2002 that basically...
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This blue-green water may look stunning, but it's also seriously bad news
That electric green you see, juxtaposed with the water’s deep blue, makes for an eye-catching image. But in reality, it’s the “visual manifestation of an unhealthy ecosystem,” according to Timothy...
View ArticleThe Hillary Clinton campaign goes solar
With polling that suggests two-thirds of voters want the next president to address climate change, Hillary Clinton has laid out an ambitious renewable energy plan while campaigning in Iowa and New...
View ArticleThe rat could become man's newest best friend
In many places in the world, rats are regarded as a vile nuisance and a menace to society. But the truth is that scientists, researchers and even police and health care workers are discovering how...
View ArticleHow the thermometer got its name
In 1626, the French Jesuit Jean Leurechon (1591-1670) first coined the word “thermometer.” It appeared in his best-selling book, Récréation Mathématique, which he wrote under the nom de plume of...
View ArticleAre we causing earthquakes in Oklahoma?
Scientists have known for a long time that humans can cause earthquakes, especially when we mess around with underground faults. The most dramatic example of this now can be found in the American...
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Volcano near nuclear plant raising concerns in Japan
Just under a week after the first nuclear power plant re-opened in Japan, critics are voicing conerns about safety. Oh, and there's a volcano.After the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011, all of...
View ArticleChinese residents hurt by the chemical blasts in Tianjin stand up to the...
There are more questions than answers nearly a week after a devastating explosion in the Chinese port of Tianjin. Hazardous waste crews have been sweeping through the areas where the blasts...
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These Chinese cave inscriptions tell a dramatic 500-year-long story
Inscriptions on a cave wall in China are telling the story of one region’s 500-year struggle with drought — and they have helped researchers predict another chapter 15 years from now.The writings on...
View ArticleThis incredible, pinecone-sized creature is poached more than elephants,...
Illegal trafficking of animals for Asian medicine is a rampant problem. Despite international protections, poachers slaughter millions of elephants, tigers and rhinos a year and sell their parts as...
View ArticleWhat your cellphone data says about you
Smart phones just got smarter. Not only do they let you surf the net, tweet, and navigate all at the same time, but their data is now also being used to make some unexpected predictions.A recent study...
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Next: An AirBnB just for bicycles
The city of Amsterdam is clogged with bikes and lots of them get abandoned. The city deals with its bike litter problem rather well. But it’s an issue. Last year, the city cleared 68,000 bicycles off...
View ArticleA decade after Katrina, one researcher looks for global lessons in its aftermath
Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina was rapidly approaching the Gulf Coast. And just over four years ago, a massive earthquake and tsunami struck Tohoku in northeastern Japan.Now one researcher is...
View ArticleFor first time in a decade, US military deploys active-duty soldiers — to...
Massive wildfires have plagued at least eight states this summer, and more than 80 vast blazes remain active in states like California, Idaho, Washington and Montana. More than 25,000 people have been...
View ArticleHumans kill adult animals much more than other predators, are in fact 'super...
Humans are very different from other predatory creatures.This fact is not new. But a new study published in Science concludes humans are much more likely to kill adult-aged animals than any other...
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