7 ways the election will shape the future of science, health and the environment By Andrea Thompson, Tanya Lewis, Lee Billings, Sophie Bushwick, Clara Moskowitz, Kate Wong Climate change, nuclear arms control, the pandemic and more will be determined by whoever wins the White House and Congress.
Tea Strainers & Nail Polish: The 5-Star Reviews Scientists Are Writing for Everyday Products By Andrea Thompson You may never look at tea strainers or dental floss in the same way again.
'Castle Cloud' Caught in Spectacular Astronaut Photo By Andrea Thompson It looks like a ghostly medieval tower — like something out of "Game of Thrones" — looming over the crystal-blue Caribbean waters of the Bahamas.
Brrrr! Why It's So $#%*! Cold By Andrea Thompson The "bomb cyclone," with its whipping winds and foot-plus snowdrifts, has passed. So what gives?
Bombogenesis: What's a 'Bomb Cyclone'? By Andrea Thompson "Bomb cyclones" or "weather bombs" are wicked winter storms that can rival the strength of hurricanes and are so called because of the process that creates them: bombogenesis.
Flaky Weather: Why Tallahassee Got Its 1st Measurable Snow in Decades By Andrea Thompson It may not be much – just 0.1 inches (0.25 centimeters) – but it's the first measurable snowfall Tallahassee, Florida, has seen in 28 years.
Frozen Family Fun: Try These Cold-Weather Science Experiments By Andrea Thompson Stuck indoors while the Polar Vortex sends temperatures plummeting? Try these science experiments that are perfect for the frigid weather.
From American Cockroaches to Zebras, New Book Answers 'Does It Fart?' By Andrea Thompson A new book chronicles flatulence behaviors from snakes to elephants, answering the basic question, "Does it Fart?"
Unusual 'Blob' of Hot Rock Found Beneath New England By Andrea Thompson What caused the blob — and if there are others like it — remain mysteries.
Here's Why the Ventura Wildfire Is So Explosive By Andrea Thompson California could see more wildfire events like this, even during the rainy season. That's because rising temperatures mean drier autumns.
How Did This Weird, Super-Salty Pond Form in Antarctica? By Andrea Thompson The mystery of one of the world's saltiest bodies of water was just solved.
TL;DR: Here's the One Thing Scientists Want You to Know About Their Fields By Andrea Thompson Scientists describe a fascinating tidbit about their work in 140 characters or less.
What Caused the Eruption of the World's Largest Mud Volcano? By Andrea Thompson Suspected link to nearby volcano range found in world's largest mud volcano eruption.
Hurricane Ophelia on Rare Course Toward Ireland, U.K. By Andrea Thompson Hurricane Ophelia, the 10th hurricane of the blockbuster 2017 hurricane season, is on an unusual course toward Ireland and the U.K.
NASA Satellite Reveals Source of El Niño-Fueled Carbon Dioxide Spike By Andrea Thompson NASA's OCO-2 satellite observed carbon dioxide response to one of strongest El Niños on record.
'King Tides' Flood Florida Streets (Here's Why) By Andrea Thompson The highest high tides that come each year are rising with sea levels.
Massive Calved Iceberg Comes into View as Antarctic Sun Rises By Andrea Thompson An iceberg could shed light on warming-fueled fate of Antarctica.
'Don't Let Your Guard Down': Atlantic Hurricane Season Isn't Over Yet By Andrea Thompson After a series of monster hurricanes made September the most active month on record for the Atlantic, the basin has quieted down, though likely not for long.
Puerto Rico's Hilly Terrain Worsened Hurricane Maria's Damage By Andrea Thompson Hilly terrain boosted rainfall totals and sent floods cascading.
What Caused Mexico's 2 Major Earthquakes in 2 Weeks? By Andrea Thompson It's possible the quakes happened independently of each other.
Volcanic Hotspots Are Relative Slowpokes, Study Finds By Andrea Thompson Plumes of hot rock can help track tectonic plates.
Hurricane Irma's Wake: Caribbean's Scars Will Likely Last Years By Andrea Thompson The Caribbean is still reeling after Hurricane Irma, and now the region is being pummeled by Hurricane Maria. How will this part of the world recover?
Hurricane Irma: How Good Were the Forecasts? By Andrea Thompson Overall, the models did a good job, but they can still be improved.