We Should Engineer Better Learning in Our Schools
Students should learn about both the natural world and human-made—or engineered—one we live in
We Should Engineer Better Learning in Our Schools
Students should learn about both the natural world and human-made—or engineered—one we live in
Longer and Longer Freight Trains Drive Up the Odds of Derailment
Replacing two 50-car trains with a single 100-car train increases the odds of derailment by 11 percent, according to a new risk analysis
Humans Started Passing Down Knowledge to Future Generations 600,000 Years Ago
The advent of “cumulative culture”—teaching others and passing down that knowledge—may have reached an inflection point around the time Neandertals and modern humans split from a common ancestor
Releasing Baby Cane Toads Teaches Predators to Avoid Toxic Adults
Australian conservationists introduced juvenile cane toads ahead of invasions to help prepare native monitor lizards
Has AI Already Brought Us the Terminator Future?
Is baby Skynet already here? We need robust laws now to withstand eliminating humans from nuclear decision-making
There’s No Need to Panic over ‘Flying’ Spiders, and Satellites Are Not So Great for the Ozone Layer
Sweltering heat in Greece, ozone-damaging chemicals on the decline and an investigation of what space does to our body are all in this week’s news roundup.
Russia’s War in Ukraine Has Produced $32 Billion in Climate Damage
The first two years of Russia’s war in Ukraine have produced 175 million tons of carbon dioxide
The Physics of Breakdancing, a New Olympic Sport
Breakdancing will hit the global stage at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, and this physicist is excited to break down the science
Voyager 1 Is Back! NASA Spacecraft Safely Resumes All Science Observations
NASA’s venerable Voyager 1 spacecraft has resumed normal science operations with all four functioning instruments for the first time in more than six months
How to Avoid Summer Germs
From hiking to barbecuing and gardening to swimming, the opportunities for summer fun can also pose health risks. Here’s how to stay safe this summer
Electric Flying Taxis Are Quietly Sneaking Up on Us
New electric-powered, vertical-lift aircraft are rising to the challenge of delivering clean and cheap air taxi services
Huge Blobs of Seaweed Are Choking the Caribbean’s Iconic White Sand Beaches
Massive blobs of sargassum seaweed are taking over Caribbean beaches. The seaweed explosion is fueled by pollution washing into the ocean from rivers in the Americas and Africa