Sep 06 Watch 7:39 How Pittsburgh is test driving tech to make your commute smarter By PBS News Hour Robotics experts at Carnegie Mellon University are harnessing technology to address the rush-hour traffic that plagues commuters across the country. Using artificial intelligence and existing infrastructure, their software could reshape the daily commute for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians by reducing… Continue watching
Sep 05 Column: Why we shouldn’t push students to specialize in STEM too early By Annette Jacobson Today’s high school students are expected to decide on a life path early, and dedicate everything to pursuing that track, especially those considering a major or career in STEM. While it can produce students with high technical capabilities, this hyper… Continue reading
Sep 05 First Harvey, now Irma. Why are so many hurricanes hitting the U.S.? By Nsikan Akpan Some uncertainty still surrounds Hurricane Irma’s fate, but here’s what to expect -- plus an explainer on why this hurricane season is churning out so many extreme storms in the Atlantic Ocean. Continue reading
Sep 01 New satellite photos reveal extent of Harvey flooding in Houston By Julia Griffin As Harvey’s rains push northwards into Kentucky and the nation's northeast corridor, new photos reveal the extent of flooding the record-breaking storm left behind in the Houston region. Continue reading
Aug 31 WATCH: Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins on his skepticism about human-caused climate change By Travis Daub Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, whose gulf coast district has had to deal with the effects of sea level rise and flooding, spoke with Miles O'Brien about his belief that the science behind human-caused climate change is flawed. Continue reading
Aug 31 Wetlands stopped $625 million in property damage during Hurricane Sandy. Can they help Houston? By Nsikan Akpan For the first time, a new study gives us a sense of how much property damage these natural habitats can prevent during severe storms like Hurricane Harvey. Continue reading
Aug 31 Explosions rattle Arkema chemical plant near Houston By Laura Santhanam Reports of two explosions at the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas followed days of rising floodwaters and lost power. Continue reading
Aug 30 Watch 6:32 Did climate change make recent extreme storms worse? By PBS News Hour Nature is taking a devastating toll in both the U.S. mainland and in countries like India, Bangladesh and Nepal, where monsoon rains are causing floods and hundreds of casualties. Directly attributing these individual weather events to global warming is a… Continue watching
Aug 30 Huge new study casts doubt on conventional wisdom about fat and carbs By Patrick Skerrett, STAT New results from a huge international study help continue to reshape fat's image while at the same time casting doubt on the wisdom of eating lots of carbs. Continue reading
Aug 29 Hurricane Harvey damages petrochemical refineries, releasing thousands of pounds of airborne pollutants By Nsikan Akpan ExxonMobil disclosed Tuesday that two refineries accidentally released 12,000 pounds of hazardous vapors after being damaged by Hurricane Harvey. But the disclosures represent just four of more than a dozen reports filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality since… Continue reading