Environmentalists are very worried about Brazil's new government
Brazil’s acting president is named Michel Temer. Fun fact: In Portuguese, temer means “to fear.”For some environmentalists, it’s a fitting name. They are genuinely fearful that the interim leadership...
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These ghostly blue lights aren't your imagination — they're a particular kind...
As the weather warms in the southern Appalachians, the blue ghosts start to appear.No, they’re not otherworldly or apparitional — they’re just insects. Blue ghost fireflies (Phausis reticulata), native...
View ArticleThe fish people kill to own
People love having exotic fish in their aquariums. They'll pay big money for them, even when it's illegal. And it turns out that some people will kill for the right fish.Author Emily Voigt descended...
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Deciphering the mysterious decline of honey bees
Honey bees are arguably our most important commercially available pollinator. They are responsible for pollinating numerous food plants that make our diets more exciting and nutritious, including many...
View ArticleWhy today's rent-to-own economy presents a host of privacy challenges
Imagine this: You’re late. You’ve got to get to class, to your kid’s school, to work. But your car — which you’re leasing from a rent-to-own company, and which worked just minutes before — won’t...
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These intricately designed glass sea creatures served an important...
This octopus may evoke the spirit of life, but it never swam the ocean depths. It’s made of glass.The specimen is one of thousands of meticulously detailed marine invertebrate models fashioned between...
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A Rhode Island senator speaks out often about the dangers of climate change
Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has risen 135 times on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to act on climate change. They may not be listening, but that won’t stop him from speaking, he...
View ArticleFalling natural gas prices are bad news for some US communities
In many towns in the US, the fracking boom brought new jobs, new businesses and a sense of optimism. But the mild winter has caused natural gas prices to drop and now some companies have laid off...
View ArticleConfirmed: More planets are capable of hosting life than have ever been...
The NASA Kepler mission scientists have confirmed a record haul of exoplanets: 1,284. The objects were all spotted in the patch of sky between the constellations of Cygnus and Lyra, and the...
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Here's why your new hobby should be bird watching or bee hunting
Bernd Heinrich, a birdwatching expert and professor emeritus of biology at the University of Vermont, has been known to go to extremes in his bird-watching pursuits. There is, for example, the time he...
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Indonesia wants to track rapists with implanted microchips.
In Indonesia, mass indignation followed the horrific gang rape, in April, of a 14-year-old girl walking home from school.And so did a bold proposal: Why not implant microchips inside all convicted...
View ArticleSouth African firefighters dance as they arrive in Canada to help battle...
Nearly 300 South African firefighters broke into song and dance as they arrived at the Edmonton Airport in northern Alberta.[Watch] 300 South African firefighters sing & dance at Canadian airport...
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Residents start returning to Canada's fire-stricken communities
Tens of thousands of Fort McMurray residents were expected to begin trickling back into the Canadian oil city ravaged by wildfires Wednesday after the blaze was declared no longer a threat."Getting...
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The US is still dumping some of its toxic e-waste overseas
This story was reported in partnership with EarthFixThink of how many electronic gadgets and appliances you’ve gotten rid of in the last few years — everything from Fitbits to laptops to old TVs. It’s...
View ArticleWhy King Tut had an awesome dagger from outer space
A quick scan of headlines circulating on social media could leave you thinking that extraterrestrials had given a magical artifact to the ancient Egyptians.The truth is less fanciful but arguably more...
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Veterans will finally see the Nazi encryption machine they cracked in World...
The story of the Enigma machine is pretty well known. It was a cipher used by the Nazis to send coded messages during World War II. The Brits cracked the machine and the war ended a lot sooner than it...
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US announces near-total ban on trade of African elephant ivory
US authorities announced a near-total ban on the trade of African elephant ivory Thursday, finalizing a years-long push to protect the endangered animals."Today's bold action underscores the United...
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That freezer full of tiger cubs in Thailand isn't the end of the story
What could be more enticing to a visitor to Thailand: A tiger sanctuary run by Buddhist monks a few hours from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.But now the operators of the infamous Wat Pha Luang Ta...
View ArticleAfter months, the Flint water situation is finally getting a little bit better
For more than two years, the residents of Flint, Michigan, complained about the taste and smell of their tap water, of skin rashes, and hair loss with little response from officials. Now, much of the...
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Vancouver's former Olympic Village is now home to urban beavers
If you wait until the sun sets, when the dog park empties out and the path clears of cyclists, you might spot the newest residents of Vancouver's 2010 Olympic Village.On this evening, they cautiously...
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