Plunge Into the Science of BASE Jumping
BASE stands for the objects the practitioners of the sport jump from: buildings, antennas, spans, earth. Wingsuits are sometimes involved; parachutes, always.
Winter Weather Predictions—Science or Folklore?
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts winter weather months in advance. But how scientific are those predictions? And are NOAA and Accuweather any better at the art of seasonal forecasting?
When Infections ‘Spillover’
Will the next human pandemic start in an animal? Writer David Quammen talks about Ebola, HIV and other diseases that ‘spillover’ from animals to humans.
Tracking the Ozone Hole, as It Waxes and Wanes
The Antarctic ozone hole reaches its largest size by late September—but then it disappears again.
Curiosity Rover Gets the ‘Scoop’ on Mars
Did the rover shed a piece of plastic while collecting its first scoop of Martian soil?
Step Into an Optical Illusion
In Demon Hill, the rules of gravity don’t apply as you expect them to. Down is not down, exactly. The room, created by Los Angeles artist Julian Hoeber and on display at the Harris Lieberman Gallery in New York, is modeled on a stock roadside attraction.
Starfish Blamed For Great Barrier Reef Coral Loss
Crown-of-thorns starfish are partly to blame for the Great Barrier Reef’s alarming loss of coral cover.
Fires and Invasive Grass Threaten American West
Cheatgrass, an invasive weed, chokes out native sagebrush—and sets the stage for massive blazes.
The Biology of Birds of Prey
We’ll check in with biologists studying American kestrels, prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, and other raptors that nest in Idaho’s Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Plus, bringing back the California condor.
Oregon Power Project Needs the Motion of the Ocean
A generator that makes electricity from wave power is being prepared for installation off the Oregon coast.