'Asteroid hunters' search for space rocks that could collide with Earth
Millions of rocky and metallic leftovers from the formation of the universe orbit the same sun that we do, many of them found between Mars and Jupiter in what is known as the asteroid belt. And while...
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London's pigeon problem has a simple solution: a hawk
Fifteen years ago, the center of London was densely populated — not just with people, but also with birds. Particularly pigeons.Huge flocks of them would fill the capital's parks and squares. But...
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Trump budget cements pivot away from US climate leadership
President Donald Trump’s proposed budget marks a sweeping shift in domestic environmental policy and a decisive sign that US international leadership on climate change has ended.The first draft of a...
View ArticleTrump’s plan for the EPA is death by ‘a thousand cuts’
If President Donald Trump has his way, the Environmental Protection Agency will be downsized quite a bit: 31 percent, with more than 50 programs eliminated, as laid out in his budget proposal released...
View ArticleEnergy efficiency is becoming an essential tactic for the US military
The US military sees climate change as a national security threat. So, it’s finding ways to adapt to global warming, to make the armed forces stronger and more flexible. For starters, green...
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Moose in New England face grisly deaths from tick infestations
The mild winter weather in New England is bad news for the region's moose.In northern New England, moose number about 70,000, but changing weather seems to be throwing the balance of nature off-kilter,...
View ArticleThe scientific community is still buzzing about discovery of seven...
NASA was big on the internet in late February, when it announced that scientists had discovered seven Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star, 40 light-years away.The planets are...
View ArticleNew report gives cautious support for embryonic gene editing in humans
Last month, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine released a report about the use of gene editing techniques like CRISPR on human embryos. The new report, coming from...
View ArticleThis new treatment could combat hearing loss by regenerating hair cells in...
Here’s an unexpected story: Scientists are working on a drug to stimulate ear hair growth.In this case, the ear hairs in question are actually tiny, sensory hair cells in our cochlea. We have about...
View ArticleAnother way to grow crops — by laying down the plow
At a time when many modern farmers face problems like soil erosion, nutrient loss and drought, the black dirt on Doug Palen’s family farm is a field apart: Its health and texture just keep...
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A revolutionary genetic experiment is coming to rural Burkina Faso
This story was originally published on STAT.BANA, Burkina Faso — This small village of mud-brick homes in West Africa might seem the least likely place for an experiment at the frontier of biology.Yet...
View ArticleThe pros and cons of 'gene drives'
Scientists have used genetics to alter mosquito populations for several decades, to try to eliminate diseases such as malaria and more recently Zika. But these efforts — when they've worked at all —...
View ArticleThere's a sweet new test for pee in the pool
The artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (ACE) can be found in everything from chewing gum, to baked goods, to the packets of sugar substitute on restaurant tables. But researchers at the...
View ArticleRussia agrees with Trump. The hacking investigation is a ‘witch hunt.’
If much of the US was transfixed by the sight on Monday of two of America’s top intelligence officials sitting in Congress, addressing allegations of Russian meddling in the US elections, the Kremlin...
View ArticleSeveral cities in Peru are underwater, and the 'coastal El Niño' isn't done yet
Peru is expected to experience another two weeks of highly unusual torrential rains, which have already caused devastating floods along large swaths of its arid coast, destroying homes and crops and...
View ArticlePresident Trump, what’s your plan to preserve federal lands?
Over President Donald Trump's first 100 days, we're asking him questions that our audience wants answers to. Join the project by tweeting this question to @realDonaldTrump with the hashtag...
View ArticleBacteria are thriving in the sky — and they influence the weather
Ever since Antoni van Leeuwenhoek first observed “animalcules” through a microscope in the late 1600s, we’ve been finding bacteria all over. They’ve been discovered in deep sea vents, on human skin,...
View ArticleSea ice has hit new record lows at both poles
The sea ice cover in the Arctic and Antarctic hit new record lows for this time of year, marking the smallest polar ice caps in the 38-year satellite record, US government scientists said Wednesday.In...
View ArticleHuman moderators do the dirty work of keeping disturbing content off the...
Like many freelancers, Rochelle LaPlante is paid by the piece. “So, I have to balance doing it fast enough to make it worth my time, but also make sure I'm doing high-quality work,” she says.But...
View ArticlePresident Trump, will you preserve the Endangered Species Act?
Over President Donald Trump's first 100 days, we're asking him questions that our audience wants answers to. Join the project by tweeting this question to @realDonaldTrump with the hashtag...
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