News & Commentary

The Silent Killer

April 17, 2015 ExplainerUnited States, New YorkClara Chaisson

Extreme heat kills more often than we think, and climate change is only going to turn it up a notch.

Food Fetish

April 17, 2015 ExplainerUnited StatesTracie McMillan

On our farms, in our stores, and at our dining tables, aesthetics and efficiency are at war. Everybody loses.

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.

Save the Very Hungry Caterpillars

April 16, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

Common insecticides are killing monarch butterfly larvae, says a USDA study.

A Sloth Smorgasboard

April 15, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesPerrin Ireland

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

Scan ‘Em, Don’t Can ‘Em

April 15, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesJason Bittel

New tech allows us to get a peek at the elusive Atlantic sturgeon—and that could help save this ancient fish from extinction.

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.

Our Ocean If We Want It

April 10, 2015 PerspectivesUnited StatesDavid Helvarg

An author of a new book says the sea will surely outlive us (but our bad habits are scarring it forever).

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.

America’s Best Idea, Executed Poorly

April 9, 2015 Latest NewsUnited StatesBrian Palmer

A study says that if we want to prevent extinction, we’re protecting the wrong areas of the country. Can't we do both?

Sympathy for the Vulture

April 8, 2015 Latest NewsAfricaJason Bittel

Traditional medicine is threatening Africa’s soaring scavengers.

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.