Science & Technology
/Knowledge
As world braces for 'super' El Niño, research suggests global warming has increased its punch
For decades, scientists have struggled to understand the potential link between global warming and El Niño — and whether human activity is making the already powerful climate phenomenon even more extreme and disruptive.
Evidence of a connection has remained elusive however, as El Niño is notoriously variable, making it difficult to ...Read more
Commentary: To stop Trump's pillaging, 'vote the ocean' this fall
President Donald Trump’s administration and his fearfully compliant congressional majority treat our public seas like a treasure chest to be looted. On election day this November, that record should weigh on the minds of voters who care about the economy and our blue world.
Trump’s personal hatred of offshore wind power (since Scotland ...Read more
Constitution doesn't include right to clean water, federal court rules
The U.S. Constitution doesn’t provide a right to clean drinking water or accurate information from public officials, a divided federal appeals court ruled.
The decision affirms the dismissal of a lawsuit over alleged lead-contaminated drinking water in Jackson, Mississippi.
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found that the ...Read more
Apple to kick off Ternus era with its biggest-ever slate of new products
Apple Inc. has spent much of the past 15 years refining existing product lines and launching services to generate more recurring revenue. There have been a few fresh device categories, like the Apple Watch and AirPods, but no steady stream of new concepts.
That is all about to change, beginning next week at the company’s Sept. 9 “Surprise ...Read more
Farmer-poet Wendell Berry’s environmental ethics were deeply rooted in his Christian faith and belief in caring for creation
For most of his 92 years, Wendell Berry farmed his Lane’s Landing homestead in Henry County, Kentucky, using methods that embraced the land. He preferred draft horses to diesel-powered tractors and used crop rotation and manure fertilizer to naturally nurture his fields.
The widely revered poet-farmer, who wrote passionately about ...Read more
Insects and mosquitoes are swarming Chicagoland. Here's why
CHICAGO — In the parks, at the lakefront and beyond, swarms of mosquitoes, flies and other bugs are chasing away Chicagoans trying to enjoy the last breaths of summer. More so than in previous years, insects have been pervasive — and it’s no coincidence why.
Bugs, mosquitoes in particular, thrive and breed in hot, wet conditions, which ...Read more
Bat found at Yosemite campground tests positive for deadly disease. What to know
FRESNO, Calif. — A bat found at Yosemite National Park tested positive for a viral disease that’s fatal for people and animals, park officials confirmed.
The big brown bat, which was found dead outside the Curry Village Showerhouse in May, tested positive for rabies, Yosemite National Park said in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The ...Read more
Hiking canyons can quickly turn deadly when storms hit – what you should know before going in
Hiking a picturesque valley or climbing a craggy gorge are some of the most exhilarating experiences in nature. As a geologist, I have hiked and climbed some of the most intense terrains in the world, including in the Andes, Middle Eastern deserts, the Balkans and the Appalachians.
I am particularly drawn to canyons that provide ...Read more
Assateague added horse-safety measures. National Park Service says their effect remains unclear
BALTIMORE — The deaths of two Assateague horses by vehicle strikes 12 days apart in August may have seemed sudden. But the danger posed by traffic to the island’s wild horses has been building for decades.
National Park Service records show that vehicles have killed 36 horses on Assateague since 1982. This summer, Dune Dancer Jolt and Susi ...Read more
Sierra Space lines up Dream Chaser customers, but launch date still TBD
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, the spacecraft that looks like a miniature space shuttle, doesn’t have a target launch date yet but it does have “undisclosed national security and commercial customers,” according to a company press release.
“As the space domain has become increasingly contested, Dream Chaser has evolved into exactly what...Read more
Satellite images show how penguins’ diets are changing in response to Antarctic climate change
The color of penguin poop, as seen from space, is offering a new window into how the ecology and the environment of Antarctica are changing over time.
Adélie penguins are one of the most abundant predators in the Southern Ocean. They rely on food sources in the ocean, but nest on rocky outcrops all around the Antarctic continent.
...Read more
Trump administration lifts stop-work order on invasive carp barrier
WASHINGTON — Federal officials lifted a stop-work order Wednesday, Sept. 2, that had halted construction on a state-federal project in Joliet, Illinois, meant to block invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said Wednesday it had been notified of the change by the White House and the U.S. Army Corps of ...Read more
More rabid bats reported in Idaho this year than 2024, 2025 combined
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho has seen an increase in the number of bats that have tested positive for rabies this year, as well as the number of possible contacts between bats and humans or pets, prompting a warning from the Idaho departments of Health and Welfare and Fish and Game.
In a joint news release Wednesday, the departments said 24 bats ...Read more
Blue Origin breaks ground on new Cape Canaveral facility ordered up by Space Force
While Blue Origin plows ahead with its reconstruction of its New Glenn launch pad at Cape Canaveral, damaged in a massive explosion earlier this year, it is also moving forward with new construction of an adjacent facility that will help the Space Force.
Jeff Bezos’ company was awarded a contract last year by Space Systems Command a $78.25 ...Read more
Tribes could co-manage ancestral forests under bill heading to Newsom's desk
California lawmakers have voted to shift a state forest system away from commercial logging and pave the way for tribal co-management, delivering a win to a movement rooted in the historic timber wars.
Managed by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, the state’s 14 demonstration forests are required to ...Read more
Yosemite, again in corporate crosshairs, embodies the long war over US national park privatization
Reports that the Trump administration is working to transfer part of Yosemite National Park to a private land developer have heightened concerns among park advocates and the public about privatization of public land.
The proposed deal, which a government spokesperson said has not been finalized, would involve a land swap: The ...Read more
Nvidia's Huang urges G20 to speed AI adoption, spur growth
Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang called on Group of 20 nations to accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence as a way to enhance growth, urging the world’s largest economies to expand data centers and other infrastructure to support the emerging technology.
“Every single country needs to build infrastructure so ...Read more
Killing of Catalina Island deer will go forward despite last-minute appeals
LOS ANGELES — The killing of mule deer on Catalina Island will go forward after a judge tentatively denied a request from hunting groups and concerned citizens to pause the controversial plan pending the outcome of a legal challenge.
The Catalina Island Conservancy was authorized to start killing deer Tuesday under a permit issued by the ...Read more
Tech review: Acer Aspire 16 AI
Buying a laptop is anything but easy sometimes — it’s a classic example of too many choices.
Do you want a smaller, lighter machine? Or one that has a larger screen and better battery life? How about a laptop fast enough for occasional (or frequent) gaming?
Do you want a touch screen? How about an OLED display? Need 4K graphics?
How does ...Read more
Feds find foreign moth for first time in US at Detroit Metro Airport
DETROIT — A foreign moth that could have stirred up trouble was intercepted for the first time in the United States at Detroit Metro Airport, officials said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers captured the potentially destructive winged bug, a straw crest moth — Mesophleps silacella — at the airport in January, representatives ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Commentary: To stop Trump's pillaging, 'vote the ocean' this fall
- Apple to kick off Ternus era with its biggest-ever slate of new products
- Farmer-poet Wendell Berry’s environmental ethics were deeply rooted in his Christian faith and belief in caring for creation
- Constitution doesn't include right to clean water, federal court rules
- As world braces for 'super' El Niño, research suggests global warming has increased its punch
Comics
