Scientists Capture Airborne Animal DNA for the First Time
Researchers filtered the air around two zoos and identified genetic material from dozens of species, a technique that could help track and conserve wildlife.
Climate Change May Make Hurricanes Hit Sooner and Last Longer
A new study modeling storm behavior under a warmer climate finds Boston and Norfolk will face higher risk from floods as they crawl along the East Coast.
Are Green Jet Fuels Finally Ready for Takeoff?
A first commercial test flight shows how fuel made from plants, not petroleum, could make flying cleaner.
West Point Chemists Re-Create Medieval Gunpowder Recipes
Following an antique manuscript, researchers mixed up (and then blew up) some early formulations to learn how explosive-making has evolved.
An Outdated Grid Has Created a Solar Power Economic Divide
Utilities have upgraded the infrastructure for rooftop power in richer neighborhoods, but low-income areas don’t have the same capacity.
Titan’s Strange Chemical World Gets Simulated in Tiny Tubes
A research chemist mixed nitrogen, methane, and other molecules to re-create the conditions that might harbor life on one of Saturn’s moons.
The Next Big Challenge for Lunar Astronauts? Moon Dust
NASA is trying out sonic waves, electrostatic devices, and extra-slick coatings as ways to repel pesky space dirt.
The Cost of Preventing Deaths by Climate-Driven Heat
A new formula measures the “mortality cost of carbon” and how much would have to be removed from the atmosphere to save a single life.
Extreme Heat Could Also Mean Power and Water Shortages
An extraordinary drought in the West, plus dry lakes and reservoirs, mean there will be less water for farms, hydroelectric energy, and home users.