News & Commentary

Beauty and the Best

April 17, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesJeff Turrentine

Don't be fooled by superficial good looks: If you truly love food, you’ll accept it as-is, blemishes and all.

A Sloth Smorgasboard

April 15, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

A weekly roundup of the best in science journalism, doodled.

Climate Change Vs. the Blob

April 14, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaBrian Palmer

A new study says a stubborn blob of warm ocean water is exacerbating the California drought.

Climate Change Denial 101

April 13, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

An online course teaches students how to debate climate change deniers (and win).

Bathroom Bandits

April 13, 2015 Latest NewsCaliforniaKatherine Ellen Foley

Law-breaking urinals? California's water rules will force new fixtures to toe the water line.

How Much Oil?

April 10, 2015 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

Experts still don’t agree on the amount of oil that gushed into the Gulf—but everyone knows it was a lot.

Empty Nests

April 9, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner

A Louisiana oysterman wants to pass on his trade to his grandkids—if only there were any oysters left to catch.

First, the Good News

April 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A new study shows simple fishing restrictions can bring coral reefs back to life—but only if we stop emitting so much carbon dioxide.

Mutated Truths

April 7, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner

Five years after the BP disaster, the oil company says everything is back to normal. This shrimper begs to differ.

A Recurring Nightmare

April 7, 2015 PerspectivesLouisianaSarah Craig, Rocky Kistner

After a decade of catastrophes—Katrina, BP—this family is saying good-bye to a beloved bayou home.

Rat Pack

April 6, 2015 DispatchNew York CityAlisa Opar

New York is the city that never sleeps—and neither do its rat researchers.

Strike Three for Tar Sands Pipelines?

April 6, 2015 Latest NewsCanadaBrian Palmer

Canada’s Energy East pipeline is in big trouble, just like Keystone XL and Northern Gateway.

Fish Out of Water

April 3, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Scary-low snowpack may spell disaster for some California wildlife and ecosystems.

Wild Idea

April 3, 2015 Latest NewsArcticClara Chaisson

The president is asking Congress to designate crucial Arctic habitat as wilderness.

Pesticide Patrol

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesSusan Cosier

A new report says the most widely used weed killer probably causes cancer.

Are the Gulf's Marine Mammals Fluked?

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsEastJason Bittel

We’re still coming to terms with what toxins from the BP spill might be doing to whales and dolphins.

There Goes the Neighborhood

April 2, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

How humans use land is dramatically decreasing biodiversity worldwide.

Powering Down

April 1, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

California’s proposed energy-efficiency standards for computers could make the screen time of all Americans easier on the climate.

The Dog Ate My Emissions Target

March 31, 2015 Latest NewsInternationalBrian Palmer

The United States and Mexico meet the deadline for their carbon pollution goals. Will others follow?

Offshore-Drilling Safety Gets an F

March 31, 2015 ExplainerInternationalBrian Palmer

Congress has failed to implement rules that could prevent another disaster.