Science & Technology
/Knowledge
Why states are walking back their own climate and energy laws, and what they could do instead
During the first Trump administration, states and cities, tired of waiting for the federal government to deal with energy and climate challenges, started writing their own laws.
New York passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019, setting mandatory renewable energy and emissions reduction targets. Virginia ...Read more
Heat waves increase wildfire risk – a new study explains how much, and it’s not a small number
When heat waves hit the Western United States, the risk of wildfires quickly rises. The prolonged heat dries out vegetation, but that’s only part of the cause – heat waves also play other roles in spreading wildfires.
In a new study, our team of fire and climate scientists looked at two decades of wildfire activity in the West, ...Read more
Las Vegas startup bets AI can transform heart disease detection
Stephen Randall didn’t plan on becoming a case study for Medaica, his Las Vegas-based company that has created artificial intelligence-assisted at-home heart exams.
But that’s what happened last year after the serial entrepreneur with a family history of heart disease — and two stents to show for it — returned home from a routine six-...Read more
Nevada didn't have a startup ecosystem. So Jeff Saling built one
Jeff Saling was part of three successful startups before co-founding StartUpNV, a nonprofit business accelerator and incubator based in Las Vegas.
After the serial entrepreneur’s first company, a Silicon Valley startup, went public, he moved to Nevada, where he was frustrated to learn the state did not have a startup ecosystem.
Saling then ...Read more
Can AI help us age better? Bay Area scientists are trying to find out
A growing number of researchers are turning to artificial intelligence to understand why some people remain healthy into their 90s while others develop chronic diseases decades earlier.
At labs throughout the Bay Area, the technology is fueling a wave of longevity research aimed at measuring how long people live — and how well they age.
...Read more
After loss on Blue Origin flight, SpaceX sends company's satellites to orbit
A Texas-based satellite company had a much better day with SpaceX early Wednesday than it did the last time it tried to get a payload to space with Blue Origin.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched at 2:39 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 carrying three satellites for AST SpaceMobile, which were all deployed ...Read more
Jim Rossman: Some resources to help keep up your tech skills
This week’s question is one a lot of us have: “I am 72 and have been retired for only three years, but find that, without daily use of the business requirements to 'keep up' and add new skills and knowledge, I’m falling far behind. I also had to switch from Microsoft at work to Apple at home and am even further behind with that. My ...Read more
Gadgets: Go stargazing with this smart telescope
The DWARFLab’s new Dwarf mini smart telescope is, according to the company, the world’s smallest smart telescope. But don’t let the size fool you; the small and portable telescope does amazing things to make the world of astrophotography accessible.
I’ve never dabbled in the world of astronomy, so I thought I’d play around with this...Read more
Five new Pokemon Lego sets worth picking up on Aug. 1
Lego and The Pokemon Company have launched their long-awaited collaboration just in time for the franchise’s 30th anniversary. The initial sets were aimed at older fans with some price tags to match. They’re complex builds that were meant to be display pieces.
Now, Lego is releasing 12 new sets, but these are meant for play. They also ...Read more
Report warns world is falling behind in race to remove carbon from the air
Taking carbon out of the atmosphere was never going to be easier than keeping it out of the skies, but the cleanup strategy is already hitting a wall, according to a new report on the state of carbon dioxide removal published in early June.
Removing carbon dioxide, in addition to rapid and deep emission cuts, will now both be necessary to limit...Read more
New fossils suggest human evolution was more crowded than scientists thought
New fossil discoveries are reshaping scientists’ understanding of a pivotal chapter in human evolution, revealing that several human ancestor lineages lived side by side nearly 3 million years ago.
The findings, published in separate studies in the journal Nature, come from the Afar region of northeastern Ethiopia, one of the world’s ...Read more
Snap unveils its $2,195 augmented reality glasses as rivalry with Meta heats up
Social media company Snap showcased a pair of its $2,195 augmented reality glasses Tuesday, staking a claim in a race to reshape how people interact with computers.
The Santa Monica, California tech company faces fierce competition as it takes on bigger rivals such as Meta that are dominating the sale of smart glasses and needs to convince more...Read more
Lake Mead's slow demise just sped up in latest federal study
LAS VEGAS — The reservoir that serves as Southern Nevada’s main water supply is headed for an even more painful decline than thought due to historic drought and recent water management decisions, according to federal forecasters.
Lake Mead could plummet to 1,015.77 feet above sea level in July 2027, far below any level seen since the ...Read more
Google rolls out Android 17; major AI features to follow this summer
Alphabet Inc.’s Google has begun rolling out Android 17, the latest major update to its popular mobile operating system, though some of its marquee artificial intelligence features will not arrive for another few months.
The initial wave of enhancements will roll out first to Google’s Pixel devices, with other hardware brands to follow over...Read more
How Wall Street is shifting electric utilities toward consolidation and profit
A corporate merger that would form the largest electric utility in the United States is underway. It’s just one of many recent utility mergers and acquisitions as electric utilities enter a period of rapid growth.
On May 18, 2026, NextEra Energy announced it would buy Dominion Energy for US$66.8 billion.
What’s driving ...Read more
Microplastics are everywhere in Pennsylvania’s water – but the tide may be turning
Researchers have long known that plastic pollution reaches the ocean. But how much plastic is trapped, and where, before it reaches the ocean is far less understood.
As professors of environmental engineering, geography and environmental studies, and oceanography at Penn State, we recently led studies mapping how microplastics move ...Read more
Colorado firefly conservationists hope lab-raised insects can solve population declines
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — As the last of the sunset’s pink hues disappeared from the sky, the Fort Collins field came to life. One flash appeared. Then another. Suddenly, the entire nature preserve seemed to sparkle with the glow of fireflies.
“I grew up in Colorado, and I didn’t even know we had fireflies here until I started working at ...Read more
The world agreed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 – but marine protection can’t be judged by area alone
The ocean is home to some of the richest biodiversity on Earth. From coral reefs and mangrove forests to the deep sea, marine ecosystems sustain countless species, support coastal communities, regulate the climate and underpin global food security.
But these systems face growing pressure from overfishing, habitat loss, pollution and ...Read more
USDA steps up screwworm monitoring as cases expand in Texas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is stepping up its surveillance of New World screwworm, seeking to work with the Department of Homeland Security to contain a growing outbreak threatening the nation’s cattle herd.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a Monday press conference that the two agencies were planning to enter into an ...Read more
Sharks along Cape Cod spotted stealing striped bass from fishermen: 'Sharks are throughout Massachusetts waters now'
If you’re fishing along Cape Cod these days, be on the lookout for a hungry apex predator.
Several white sharks have been chomping on striped bass that fishermen caught in Cape Cod Bay, according to shark researcher John Chisholm.
The striped bass shark depredations have also been occurring off Chatham’s Monomoy Island — a hotspot for ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Jim Rossman: Some resources to help keep up your tech skills
- Five new Pokemon Lego sets worth picking up on Aug. 1
- New fossils suggest human evolution was more crowded than scientists thought
- Gadgets: Go stargazing with this smart telescope
- Google rolls out Android 17; major AI features to follow this summer





