May 22 Analysis: We shed our DNA everywhere we go. Here's why that raises privacy concerns By Jenny Whilde, Jessica Alice Farrell, The Conversation Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions. Continue reading
May 22 2 million killed, $4.3 trillion in damages from extreme weather over past half-century, UN agency says By Associated Press The stark recap from the World Meteorological Organization came as it opened its four-yearly congress among member countries, pressing the message that more needs to be done to improve alert systems for extreme weather events by a target date of… Continue reading
May 22 Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano continues to spew ash and gas By Associated Press The nearly 18,000-foot (more than 5,400-meter) mountain is just 45 miles (about 70 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City and known affectionately as "El Popo."… Continue reading
May 22 3 Western states propose plan to reduce Colorado River water use By Suman Naishadham, Ken Ritter, Associated Press Arizona, California and Nevada on Monday proposed a deal to significantly cut their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River over the next three years. It's a potential breakthrough in a stalemate over how to deal with a rising problem… Continue reading
May 21 SpaceX launches private flight carrying Saudi Arabia's 1st woman astronaut to ISS By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades, including the first Saudi female astronaut, rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar SpaceX flight Sunday. Continue reading
May 20 Watch 6:35 The promises and potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence in medicine By John Yang, Andrew Corkery, Harry Zahn AI is finding its place in all sorts of scientific fields, and health care is no exception. Programs are learning to answer patients’ medical questions and diagnose illnesses, but there are problems to be worked out. Dr. Isaac Kohane, editor-in-chief… Continue watching
May 20 Watch 8:16 Native communities in Louisiana fight to save their land from rising seas By Melanie Saltzman In Louisiana, coastal erosion is claiming an average amount of land equivalent to a football field every hour. Some Native American communities in the southeastern part of the state are the hardest hit. Special correspondent Megan Thompson brings us the… Continue watching
May 19 NASA picks Bezos' Blue Origin to build lunar landers for moonwalkers By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press Blue Origin received a $3.4 billion contract Friday to develop a lunar lander. It will be used to transport astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2029, following a pair of crew landings by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Continue reading
May 19 Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano threatens 22 million people as it rumbles awake By María Verza, Associated Press Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano rumbled to life again this week, spewing out towering clouds of ash that forced 11 villages to cancel school sessions. Continue reading
May 18 RSV vaccine for pregnant women protects their newborns but is it ready for sale? By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Pfizer's research shows a late-pregnancy shot is 82 percent effective at preventing severe RSV in the infants' first months of life. While FDA scientists say it appears safe, they have some questions about premature birth. Continue reading