‘In every continent where humans are present, water bankruptcy is manifesting itself’: Exiled Iranian scientist Kaveh Madani on our desperate need to preserve our most precious resource
Humans are depleting Earth’s fresh water at a dizzying rate by pumping groundwater and sucking rivers dry. Continents are losing enough water each year to meet the needs of 280 million people. And in January, a report from the United Nations warned that the world is entering an era of “global water bankruptcy,” meaning we […]
‘They are literally everywhere’: The shocking story of how forever chemicals polluted the world
“Forever chemicals” — technically known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — are remarkably useful things. They’re also among the most dangerous pollutants on the planet, says investigative journalist Mariah Blake. The many carbon-fluorine bonds in these chemicals, consisting of an alkyl chain connected to multiple fluorine atoms, are considered the strongest in organic chemistry. […]
AI ‘mirages’ mean tools used to analyze medical scans can fabricate results
Researchers have trained artificial intelligence (AI) systems to interpret the results of visual tests such as mammograms, MRIs, and tissue biopsies. As AI becomes more and more capable, some analysts have suggested that these models could replace humans in medical diagnostics. But now, new research casts doubt on the ability of current AI models to […]
The world’s fattest parrot, which was on the brink of extinction 30 years ago, has a record breeding season
An endangered bird that nearly went extinct 30 years ago has just marked a major milestone. New Zealand’s Kakapo Recovery Program celebrated the hatching of its 105th kakapo egg. According to New Zealand broadcaster RNZ, this is the highest number since record-keeping began 30 years ago. In the latest chick count released on April 3, […]
California declared war on smog in the 1970s. The ripple effect was huge.
Cars on the road today are 99% cleaner than they were in 1970. As a result, air quality in the United States is much better. In Los Angeles, where I live, lead levels in the air in the 1970s were 50 times what they are today, but the amount of lead in children’s blood has […]
Physicists transport volatile antimatter in a truck for the first time in history – paving the way for groundbreaking new research
Physicists have successfully transported antimatter by truck for the first time. This is a milestone that allows researchers to study elusive matter with unprecedented precision and may ultimately help explain how matter came to dominate the universe. A short, tightly controlled movement around the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) campus in Geneva demonstrated that […]
Deadly bright green blob spreads across South Africa’s reservoir — Earth seen from space
simple facts Where is it? Hartbeespoort Dam, North West Province, South Africa [-25.74486936, 27.858152164] What is in the photo? Bright green toxic algae and planets spread across reservoirs Which satellite took the photo?Landsat 8 When was it taken? August 10, 2022 This impressive satellite photo shows lush clumps of algae and other aquatic plants spread […]
The Artemis II astronauts flew further from Earth than any human in history.
Artemis II once again made history by carrying humans farther from Earth than ever before, surpassing the record of 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) set by Apollo 13 in 1970. The previous record was broken today (April 6) at 1:57 pm EDT (17:57 GMT) when Orion’s capsule Integrity began orbiting the far side of the moon. […]
Biomedical researchers are using AI to write and run code. What are the risks?
As large-scale language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini gain acceptance by the public, scientists have explored how these artificial intelligence (AI) tools can enhance medical research. Some argue that an LLM has the potential to dramatically increase a researcher’s efficiency in completing certain types of medical research. A study published in February […]
‘A cure on the horizon’: Are we finally close to ending type 1 diabetes?
My first clue that something was wrong was the smell of cotton candy. It was March 15, 2016, and I was changing my toddler’s sheets because he had soaked through his diaper. The bed was wet, but it didn’t smell like urine. Other details I’d brushed off came to mind, and I began to worry. […]