Apr 24 EPISODE 3: Bars, babies and a big breakthrough By PBS NewsHour Over thousands of years, humans built civilizations on every other continent on Earth. But it wasn't until the 1800s that we arrived on Antarctica. Today, it's still a place with no indigenous population, no official government and not a single… Continue reading
Apr 24 EPISODE 4: What the ice is telling us By PBS NewsHour Antarctica is covered almost entirely by thick sheets of ice, but that ice is now slipping away at an accelerating rate. Many researchers say that as the Earth continues to warm, more and more of the continent's ice will end… Continue reading
Apr 22 Watch 5:15 A photography exhibit of melting ice -- and shifting consciousness By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport The melting of polar ice masses is a prominent topic in the news lately, but it’s difficult to imagine what the process would look like. In Austin, Texas, a recent photography exhibit aimed to make the concept of climate change… Continue watching
Apr 22 How these water fleas could save your water quality — and your life By Vicky Stein On this Earth Day 2019, we celebrate water fleas and ecologist Meghan Duffy. Duffy studies how these water fleas maintain healthy waterways and fight deadly diseases. Continue reading
Apr 21 Watch 4:28 The impact of Chernobyl's nuclear disaster 33 years later By PBS NewsHour It will be 33 years this week that the former Soviet Union experienced a devastating nuclear disaster in what is now a part of Chernobyl, Ukraine, killing 29 people and causing permanent evacuations for miles. For more on the aftermath… Continue watching
Apr 21 Top EPA advisers challenge long-standing air pollution science, threatening Americans' health By Richard E. Peltier, The Conversation On April 11, an important scientific advisory group submitted recommendations to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler that propose new and dangerous ways of interpreting findings on the health effects of air pollution. Continue reading
Apr 19 Police are now taking roadside blood samples to catch impaired drivers By Jenni Bergal, Stateline While it’s easy for police to screen drivers for alcohol impairment using a breath-testing device, there’s no such machine to screen for drug impairment. As a result, more police are ordering electronic warrants and drawing blood roadside, sparking concerns about… Continue reading
Apr 18 This genetic test can predict your odds for obesity from the day you're born By Vicky Stein Obesity could be in your future — and this $50 genetic test can predict your risk. Continue reading
Apr 18 Scientists restore some vitality in dead pig brains -- but without consciousness? By Sharon Begley, STAT The pigs were dead. But four hours later, scientists restored some cellular functions in their brains. Continue reading
Apr 17 Coverage of mass killings is bad for mental health -- yet makes people seek more By Nsikan Akpan Consuming media coverage of mass killings, whether via news or social media, creates a self-perpetuating cycle of mental distress, according to a new study. Continue reading