Can This Group Revive the Finicky Corpse Flower?
In botanic gardens around the world, the reproductive future of the famously smelly plant is threatened. A new collaborative program wants to save it.
2020 Was the One of the Hottest Years on Record
Officials from NASA and NOAA say the warming of both the planet’s air and water are driving weather disasters.
The Arctic Ocean Is Teeming With Microfibers From Clothes
Scientists find an average of 40 microplastic particles per cubic meter of the northern water. The likely source? The synthetic clothing in our washing machines.
The Plan to Build a Global Network of Floating Power Stations
A lot of thermal energy is trapped in the ocean. An ex-NASA researcher has figured out how it might generate unlimited clean power for aquatic robots.
What Would It Take to Run a City on 100 Percent Clean Energy?
Most claims of running on “clean” electricity come with caveats, and many technologies required for round-the-clock renewable energy aren’t quite ready yet.
The Mystery of the World’s Loneliest Penguins
A small group of king penguins have appeared on Martillo Island in Argentina. How they got there, and whether they will stay, is unknown.
Climate Change Is Turning Cities Into Ovens
A new model estimates that by 2100, cities across the world could warm as much as 4.4 degrees Celsius. It’s a deadly consequence of the heat-island effect.
What a Victorian Disease Detective Proved About Urban Health
John Snow showed that London’s cholera outbreak arose from bad water, not the moral failings of the poor. His legacy can help tackle new problems like Covid-19.
Can the Paris Agreement Still Avert Climate Chaos?
As the Trump era wanes, there is a sense of optimism about what the accord could achieve, five years in—but only if countries meet their targets.
A Bold Plan to Save the Last Whitebark Pines
The high-altitude tree is vital to its ecosystem, but it’s being decimated by a fungus. Its admirers are fusing old and new methods to bring it back.