SCIENCE
-
Adult Drowning Deaths Are Increasing. Swimming Lessons and Reduced Alcohol Use Could Prevent Them
August 27, 2024 4 min read Adult Drowning Deaths Are Increasing Most fatal drowning incidents in the U.S. involve adults, not children, and they often involve alcohol By Erica Westly More than 4,500 people in the U.S. lost their lives in drowning accidents in 2022, the most recent year for which data are available, and more than 70 percent of…
Read More » -
Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Won’t Collapse in Worst-Case Scenario
August 23, 2024 5 min read Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Isn’t as Vulnerable to Collapse as We Thought Antarctica’s riskiest glacier is a disaster in slow motion. But in a rare bit of good news, the worst-case scenario for its collapse may be off the table By Mathieu Morlighem & The Conversation US The calving front of Thwaites’ ice shelf. The…
Read More » -
West Nile Virus Proliferates where Climate Change Brings Warm, Wet Weather
August 21, 2024 3 min read West Nile Virus Proliferates where Climate Change Brings Warm, Wet Weather Houston’s warm, wet spring, driven in part by climate change, was a boon for mosquitoes and West Nile virus By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News Cars are submerged and the tops of mailboxes are visible along a residential street in Woodloch, 30 miles…
Read More » -
How Food Banks Prevent Climate Change by Averting Carbon Emissions
August 17, 2024 4 min read How Food Banks Prevented 1.8 Million Metric Tons of Carbon Emissions Last Year Redistributing food to food banks before it’s tossed or wasted doesn’t just fight hunger—such efforts also fight climate change By Frida Garza & Grist Volunteers stack bags of potatoes at the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in San Francisco, Calif., on May…
Read More » -
Tardigrade Fossils Reveal When ‘Water Bears’ Became Indestructible
August 15, 2024 2 min read Tardigrade Fossils Reveal When ‘Water Bears’ Became Indestructible 252 million years ago, tardigrades may have escaped extinction using this one weird trick By Mindy Weisberger An artistic reconstruction of two tardigrade fossil specimens that were preserved in amber and analyzed in a recent study. “Cretaceous Amber Inclusions Illuminate the Evolutionary Origin of Tardigrades,” by…
Read More » -
West Nile Cases Are Rising. Here’s How to Protect Yourself
August 12, 2024 3 min read West Nile Cases Are Rising. Here’s How to Protect Yourself West Nile is the most common mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. Here’s what to know about the infection By Meghan Bartels West Nile disease starts with a mosquito bite—but when bad luck strikes, the infection can end with dire illness and even death. West…
Read More » -
New U.N. Cybercrime Treaty Could Threaten Human Rights
New U.N. Cybercrime Treaty Could Threaten Human Rights A recently adopted United Nations treaty could lead to invasive digital surveillance, human rights experts warn By Kate Graham-Shaw NEW YORK CITY —The United Nations approved its first international cybercrime treaty yesterday. The effort succeeded despite opposition from tech companies and human rights groups, who warn that the agreement will permit countries…
Read More » -
AI Reaches Silver-Medal Level at This Year’s Math Olympiad
AI Reaches Silver-Medal Level at This Year’s Math Olympiad During the 2024 International Mathematical Olympiad, Google DeepMind debuted an AI program that can generate complex mathematical proofs By Manon Bischoff While Paris was preparing to host the 33rd Olympic Games, more than 600 students from nearly 110 countries came together in the idyllic English town of Bath in July for…
Read More » -
How Extreme Heat Harms Planes, Trains, Water Mains and Other Crucial Infrastructure
The Hidden Ways Extreme Heat Disrupts Infrastructure Scorching temperatures are further burdening an already-troubled infrastructure system across much of the U.S. in ways people are still learning to recognize By Meghan Bartels Infrastructure across the U.S. is struggling under the climate crisis. Dramatic examples include torrential rains turning New York City’s subway entrances into waterfalls, record cold temperatures shutting down…
Read More » -
Dungeons & Dragons Is Shedding ‘Race’ in Gaming. Here’s Why It Matters
Dungeons & Dragons Is Shedding ‘Race’ in Gaming. Here’s Why It Matters The nerd culture powerhouse is rebranding its elves, dwarfs and orcs, previously referred to as races, and moving towards use of the term species By Steven Dashiell Dungeons & Dragons game figurines for sale in 2021. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Dungeons & Dragons now reigns as a cultural powerhouse,…
Read More »