Earth
- Humans
Couch potatoes: Where the risks lie
Several new studies finger television viewing as a potentially unhealthy pastime. I know, that hardly sounds surprising. For years, research has been linking hours in front of TV screens with an elevated risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, not to mention obesity. But what makes the recent spate of analyses different, researchers argue, is that they’re finally homing in on consistent estimates of the magnitude of risks — and hints at what underlies them.
- Earth
Tsunami lit up the heavens
Camera captures glowing atmospheric ripples triggered by Japan’s deadly quake as they pass over Hawaii.
- Earth
Earth & Environment
Climate change brings a thirstier West and thinner polar bears, plus parsing the sun and moon's effects in this week's news.
- Life
Weeds increasingly immune to herbicides
Agricultural scientists warn that crop yields could drop as a result of emerging resistance.
- Earth
Earth/Environment
Flameproofing baby products, early tectonics, the future of tomatoes and more in this week's news.
- Life
Go deep, small worm
A discovery in a South African mine suggests life can thrive far below the surface.
- Tech
Nuclear energy: As Germany goes…
The German government surprised many energy analysts May 30, with its pledge to phase out use of nuclear power. What makes the announcement particularly noteworthy is that this government is not offering to walk away from a bit player. Nuclear power currently supplies almost one-quarter of that nation’s electrical energy — more than its share in the United States.
- Life
Fish ignore alarming noises in acidifying seawater
Something about changing ocean chemistry could make young clownfish behave oddly around normally alarming sounds.
- Life
Mellow corals beat the heat
Species that overreact to distress signals from algae are more likely to succumb to warming.
- Earth
Earth & Environment
Cities can break up passing storms, plus wild boar contamination, altered spider sense and more in this week’s news.
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- Tech
Cans bring BPA to dinner, FDA confirms
Federal chemists have confirmed what everyone had expected: that if a bisphenol-A-based resin is used to line most food cans, there’s a high likelihood the contents of those cans will contain at least traces of BPA.
