Science

America’s New Climate Delusion

The U.S. could sink billions into curbing emissions without altering the fate of the places climate change affects most.

Scientists Are Growing Some Very Precious Dirt

A type of soil filled with microorganisms is key to desert ecosystems. Climate change (and hikers) are coming for it.

Animal Tracking Is Getting a Makeover

Paw-print scanning technology could help researchers better protect wildlife.

The Corals That Survive Climate Change Will Be Unrecognizable

They have endured so much, and to endure this, they’ll have to adapt dramatically.

Elon Musk to the Rescue

SpaceX will bring home two stranded astronauts, consolidating its position as America’s dominant space company.

It Eats Plastic. You Eat It.

Scientists have created a nutritious powder from plastic-consuming microbes.

Are You Sure Your House Is Worth That Much?

Climate risk is still not being priced into American homeownership.

A Giant Deer Fence Is Going Up in the American West

Suburban Utah has become ground zero for deer conservation.

Saturn’s Ocean Moon Was Hiding in Plain Sight

The outer solar system is much wetter than astronomers once thought.

America Has a Hot-Steel Problem

Railways, roads, power lines, batteries—the heat of climate change is making them all falter.

A Trip to One of the Hottest Cities on the Planet

Where almost no one has air-conditioning

California’s Fire-Insurance Crisis Just Got Real

The Park Fire has sent homeowners falling through the state’s shredded safety net.

Scientists Are One Step Closer to Demystifying ‘Aphantasia’

Inside the brains of people who can’t picture things in their mind

An Army of Sea Urchins Could Help Save Coral Reefs

The creatures eat harmful algae, but they're disappearing. Scientists are trying to grow more of them.

Your Air Conditioner Is Lying to You

How does money-saver mode make sense?

Boeing Has Created the Flight Delay to End All Flight Delays

Boeing sent two NASA astronauts to space for eight days. They could be there for eight months.

Climate Change Is Shifting the Planet’s Most Basic Properties

Humans have managed to slow the Earth’s spin and shift its axis.

The Last Thing Bees Need Right Now

Air pollution is distorting the insects’ sense of smell and memory.

Shade Will Make or Break American Cities

Trees are nice and all, but they’re not enough.

The Seine River Passed Its Test

Its water quality is still quite murky.