Seemingly small shifts have big consequences
Climate change has been accumulating slowly but relentlessly for decades. The changes might sound small when you hear about them – another tenth of a degree warmer, another centimeter of...
An AI expert explains why it’s hard to give computers something you take for...
Imagine you’re having friends over for lunch and plan to order a pepperoni pizza. You recall Amy mentioning that Susie had stopped eating meat. You try calling Susie, but when...
‘Freezer burn’ is a serious problem – preventing ice recrystallization may alleviate it
Open the freezer door and there, way in the back, may be an old carton of ice cream growing spikes of ice. Or a forgotten frozen lasagna covered in icy...
How a volcano and flaming red sunsets led an amateur scientist in Hawaii to...
On the evening of Sept. 5, 1883, people in Honolulu witnessed a spectacular sunset followed by a period of extended twilight described as a “singular lurid after sunset glow.” There...
The Internet Archive has been fighting for 25 years to keep what’s on the...
This year the Internet Archive turns 25. It’s best known for its pioneering role in archiving the internet through the Wayback Machine, which allows users to see how websites looked...
Firefighters often silently suffer from trauma and job-related stress
Matthew was exposed to unimaginable scenes of pain and suffering in his job over more than a decade as a firefighter. The last straw came when he witnessed the death...
Emotion is a big part of how you assess risk – and why it’s...
People tend to overestimate or underestimate risk. The pandemic brings this into stark relief. Picture someone wearing an N95 mask while walking their dog through a deserted park. Contrast that...
Female scientists set back by the pandemic may never make up lost time
During the COVID-19 quarantines, scientists, like most professionals, took their work home.
Women researchers, however, bore the disproportionate burden of caregiving responsibilities, forcing a drop in their productivity. Although this...
What is the metaverse? 2 media and information experts explain
The metaverse is a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with one another and digital objects while operating virtual representations – or avatars – of...
Individual dietary choices can add – or take away – minutes, hours and years...
Vegetarian and vegan options have become standard fare in the American diet, from upscale restaurants to fast-food chains. And many people know that the food choices they make affect their...
Melting Mongolian ice reveals fragile artifacts that provide clues about how past people lived
In the world’s high mountain regions, life needs ice. From the Rockies to the Himalayas, glaciers and other accumulations of snow and ice persist throughout the year. Often found on...
State policies can provide clear guidance on when to put on and take off...
Although many people are eager to remove their masks, experts and much of the public increasingly recognize that indoor mask mandates can provide protection in areas where COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations...