Jul 10 Newly discovered comet is lighting up Earth's sky By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press Neowise swept within Mercury’s orbit a week ago and now is headed our way, with closest approach in two weeks. Continue reading
Jul 09 U.N. warns world could hit 1.5-degree warming threshold by 2024 By Nadine Achoui-Lesage, Frank Jordans, Associated Press The U.N. weather agency says the world could see average global temperatures rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average for the first time in the coming five years. The 1.5-C mark is the level to which countries have… Continue reading
Jul 09 Analysis: Retractions and controversies over coronavirus research show the scientific process is working By Mark R. O'Brian, The Conversation Severe scrutiny of two major papers, including one about the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine, is part of science's normal process of self-correction. Continue reading
Jul 08 Watch 7:21 Companies race to mine lithium, a battery essential By Miles O'Brien The metal lithium has become integral to our daily lives, due to its essential role as a battery material in electronic devices. Over the next several decades, the rising popularity of electric vehicles is expected to mean the demand for… Continue watching
Jul 06 Fossils reveal dinosaur forerunner smaller than a cellphone By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Named Kongonaphon kely, which means tiny bug slayer, the creature looked like a dinosaur but scampered the Earth earlier, predating both dinosaurs and flying pterosaurs. Continue reading
Jul 06 Watch 6:04 This hurricane season is expected to be busy. How COVID-19 is changing preparation By John Yang Weather forecasters say the current tropical storm season is likely to be more active than normal, with as many as six major hurricanes. But planning for these disasters is more complex this year. The coronavirus pandemic has made it harder… Continue watching
Jul 05 Watch 5:22 Experts focus on 'superspreaders' to study virus transmission By PBS NewsHour As businesses reopen and cases across several states in the U.S. and across the world surge, experts worry that “superspreaders,” a small percentage of infected people are transmitting the virus to a much larger percent, could be fueling the pandemic. Continue watching
Jul 02 Fish more vulnerable to warming water than first thought By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Thursday's study shows that by the end of the century with moderate man-made warming, 40% of the fish species may be in water that's just too hot for them in key stages of life. Continue reading
Jul 01 Watch 8:10 How doctors are innovating to treat COVID-19 By Miles O'Brien One of the reasons COVID-19 presents such a significant global medical challenge is that there are few effective therapies for it so far. As cases fill hospital beds across many parts of the country, doctors and scientists are coming up… Continue watching
Jul 01 Astronomers still don't know exactly what the sun is made of By Ken Croswell, Knowable Magazine For two decades, astronomers have argued over how much carbon, nitrogen and especially oxygen lie within our closest star — a dispute with implications for the entire universe. Continue reading