Too many of us still know way too little about how the world works—but there is hope
Science
Second Code Uncovered Inside the DNA
Discovery deepens our understanding of the human genome
Heat Waves Could Be Forecast Earlier: Study
Scientists find a way to predict deadly heat waves up to twice as early as previously
Honey Not Now, It’s About to Rain
New study proves that insects’ mating behavior can predict changes in weather
Mystery Solved: Black Hole Belch Caused Galactic Glow
How astronomers discovered signs of a massive, two-million-year-old “burp” at the Milky Way’s core
Drill, Baby, Drill: Russian Scientists Reach a Massive Underground Lake
If life were a Michael Bay movie, the moment this week when Russian scientists finally drilled into the subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica would immediately be followed by the sudden and frightening appearance of unfrozen …
Plan B: When Politics Beat Science
President Obama came into office promising to restore scientific integrity to policymaking, but his Administration has allowed politics to trump science several times—including with this week’s move to keep the emergency …
Why the Future Belongs to Jellyfish
Jellyfish: they’re the worst. From the dollar bill-sized jellies that wash up along the New Jersey shore to the deadly box jelly—the most toxic creature on the planet—no one likes jellyfish. And the bad news is that they may be taking over: as we pull fish from the sea, the jellyfish are left to flourish. Overfishing, climate …
How Human Beings Are Downgrading Life on Planet Earth
We live in the Anthropocene, as some scientists have come to call our new geologic era. The term acknowledges the fact that human beings—nearly 7 billion strong and growing—have so much influence over the life, geography and even chemistry of planet Earth that we’re now essentially responsible for the whole show. For good and for …
Climate Change Begins to Cut Into Crop Yields
The hidden story of 2011 has been the record-breaking rise in global food prices. Global corn prices doubled between April 2010 and April 2011, while wheat prices are up some 60 to 80%. Exactly why food has gotten so expensive in recent months is the subject of an ongoing debate—biofuel policy, inflation, oil prices, natural …