Over the past two centuries, humans have pumped billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, raising global temperatures in the process.

Luckily for humanity, Earth has done what it could to soften the impact.

The world’s oceans have absorbed 35% of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil ...Read more

You may be hearing phrases like “climate crisis,” “climate emergency” and “climate justice” a lot as the 2026 United Nations climate summit is underway. Political leaders, including U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, are using them to try to get across the urgent risks and consequences of climate change. The danger is real,...Read more

CHICAGO — For scientists working to keep plastic litter out of the environment, the idea might seem counterintuitive.

Looking to follow the movement of water bottles and other floating throwaways, they tossed dozens of plastic smoothie shakers into rivers across the United States and Canada, including stretches of the Chicago River.

The ...Read more

Typically, when people hear about nitrates, it involves runoff from farm fields, sewage systems and cities that can fuel harmful algae blooms and raise the risk of a serious illness in infants known as “blue baby syndrome.”

But a river can also run through a sparsely populated landscape with little farming and still contain ...Read more

United Launch Alliance is set for the return of its Vulcan rocket Friday after nine months of delays on a mission that looks to reinvigorate Amazon’s game of catchup to SpaceX’s lucrative Starlink satellite program.

Flying for only the fifth time, the replacement for ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV family of rockets, is targeting liftoff from ...Read more

As communities around the world shore up their infrastructure in anticipation of one of the most powerful El Niños on record in late 2026 and early 2027, they need to think about rising health risks, too – and include them in early weather warnings.

El Niño is part of a natural climate phenomenon that shifts global weather ...Read more

Status Audio’s limited-edition Pro X GoldenSound true wireless earbuds deliver an impressive combination of exceptional clarity, detailed, full-bodied sound, and a distinctive, eye-catching design. Although I haven’t reviewed the original Status Pro X, these earbuds made an immediate impression. From the moment I put them on, I was struck ...Read more

November and the whole holiday season will be dominated by one game — “Grand Theft Auto VI.” The anticipation for the title is so high that it moved up launch dates for “Call of Duty” and other major franchises. When it’s released Nov. 19, experts are predicting a productivity slowdown that could cost the economy $1 billion with ...Read more

In late September, OpenAI entered discussions for its latest funding round with confidence. After having early discussions with prospective backers who had expressed interest, the company presented its terms: at least $30 billion in new capital at a $1.4 trillion valuation.

Few startups have been as successful at fundraising as OpenAI, which ...Read more

Yang Liu’s parents planted roots in suburban Michigan hoping their son, who was born in China, would find success in the world’s biggest economy. In early 2020, they got their wish: End Game Interactive, the mobile game startup he co-founded in their home, raised $3 million on the back of breakout hit Zombs Royale.

Then, the U.S. still ...Read more

So, you’re sitting in your living room watching TV and the power goes out.

What goes through your mind? Uncertainty.

You start by turning on your phone’s flashlight and looking for that candle lighter so you can light some candles and you start thinking about spending the rest of the evening in the dark.

You’re hoping the outage is a ...Read more

This week a reader writes, “When Microsoft stopped supporting Publisher recently, it also denied access to the documents. In other words, it won’t let me go into my document in Publisher to export the document into another program. I cannot save the files as some other format (pdf). I’m in real trouble here. I cannot recreate a 140-page ...Read more

Nestled below a canopy of oak trees on the rolling hills and sunlit woodlands of Contra Costa County lies a hidden oasis for birdwatching enthusiasts.

With a vast array of natural habitats perfect for spotting a variety of diverse native and migratory birds, Orinda is widely considered one of the Bay Area’s premier birding destinations.

The ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has left the state Tuesday to join international leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkey.

Newsom framed his attendance as an opportunity to tell the world that California’s climate leadership is delivering results as he criticized President Donald Trump as...Read more

World leaders meeting at the annual U.N. climate summit in November 2026 are wrestling with a persistent challenge: how to get countries to follow through on their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet.

One of the biggest problems has long been fossil fuel power plants, but new research shows that ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — You may have seen them passed around at the playground or park — tiny, candy-colored stickers, often bearing bright cartoony faces, hearts or flowers, meant to repel mosquitoes. Hikers and urban walkers are wearing them on socks and jacket collars; parents are tacking them onto kids’ hats and backpacks. Forget Skittles — ...Read more

CHICAGO — The fish, caught in a net with dozens of others like it, had just been brought to the boat ramp and placed in one of several large, water-filled tubs, where it patiently waited its turn.

Soon enough, it was whisked up and away in a catch net, weighed in at 10.14 pounds, the same as a 12-pack of soda, measured at 25.7 inches, or ...Read more

Global carbon emissions are falling this year, a drop explained more by the recent oil shock than by countries’ gradual transition to clean energy.

Carbon dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels will decline by 0.4% in 2026, to 38.2 billion metric tons, this year’s Global Carbon Budget estimates. The main driver is the U.S.-Israeli war...Read more

NEW YORK — Starting this off season, a portion of New York City’s ferry fleet will be temporarily reinvented as science classrooms on the waterways.

On Monday, NYC Ferry, the Economic Development Corporation, and an educational oyster-reef restoration nonprofit plan to announce the launch of the “Floating Classroom,” a 90-minute, twice ...Read more

NASA has only 32 active astronauts right now, and the agency wants more.

“There is no single résumé that makes somebody an astronaut,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, standing in front of a gaggle of blue-suited space veterans at this weekend’s Max Power air show at Kennedy Space Center.

It included some who had flown on...Read more