Trump administration wants to open precious forests on the East Coast to logging and mining
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, WABE and the Atlanta NPR station. WBEZ is a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan area. When most people think of national forests, they imagine vast Western landscapes such as Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Northwest. However, millions of acres of federal […]
‘Eventually, it becomes you’: Inventors of new ‘living’ knee replacement describe why this tech is desperately needed and how it works
Imagine getting a knee replacement made of living materials rather than metal and plastic. Researchers at Columbia University and the University of Missouri are working to make that vision a reality. Their 3D-printed knee implant, called NOVAKnee, is composed of a biodegradable scaffold packed with stem-cell-derived bone and cartilage. The idea is that, once inside […]
This week’s science news: Atlantic Current nears collapse, scientists make breakthrough in artificial neurons, copy of ‘Iliad’ found in Egyptian mummy
As we celebrated Earth Day this week, the science news was full of worrying implications about the pale blue dot we call home. Topping the list was new research suggesting that the collapse of a key Atlantic current is much closer than we think. The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation recycles huge amounts of carbon, keeping […]
Why do some constellations only appear during part of the year?
Some stars and constellations are always present in the night sky. For example, Polaris has served as a steady guiding light for thousands of years in the Northern Hemisphere. However, if you look closely at the sky each night, you may notice that some stars move from east to west from dusk to dawn, or […]
History of Science: Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Meltdown, Bringing World to the Brink of Disaster — April 26, 1986
simple facts Milestone: Chernobyl partially melts down Date: April 26, 1986 Location: Chernobyl, Ukraine On April 26, 1986, operators at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were conducting tests to see what would happen to the reactor during a power outage. And that caused the worst nuclear accident in human history. This plant produced nuclear fission […]
Scientists say building a massive dam between Alaska and Russia could prevent AMOC from collapsing
Building a giant dam between Russia and Alaska could save Atlantic flow, which is important for regulating northern Europe’s climate. But that massive undertaking comes with other risks, researchers explain in a new study. By cutting the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean across the Bering Strait, the giant geoengineering project could buy more time […]
“Brain-eating” amoebas are almost always fatal. A new treatment could change that.
On a hot Saturday in San Antonio more than 10 years ago, an 8-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital with several days of fever, headache, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. The child’s mother, who lived near the Texas-Mexico border, took her son to multiple clinics in Mexico, but his condition worsened. The child became […]
New York City is at great risk of flooding, study finds 4.4 million people could be exposed to extreme damage
Eight cities on the U.S. East Coast are at high or very high risk of “extreme” flooding based on current scenarios, with New York and New Orleans facing some of the greatest risks, a new study has found. Fifty percent of New York City’s population (approximately 4.4 million people) is most likely to be affected […]
‘A whole new reality’: Bolder measures needed to prevent extreme water shortages in cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas that depend on the Colorado River
A recent study found that even if cities in the region such as Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas drastically cut back on water use, the 40 million people who live in areas served by the Colorado River would face catastrophic water shortages. Water shortages could begin as early as this summer, experts told Live Science, […]
El Nino could arrive by May, new forecast reveals – what this means for summer weather
El Nino is expected to return as early as May, according to a new report, which could bring above-normal temperatures to nearly every region of the planet. El Niño events occur every two to seven years as part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) natural climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean. The ENSO cycle […]