Earth

Climate

Record-breaking Coral Sea temperatures threaten the Great Barrier Reef

Near-annual extreme heat in the Coral Sea, including in 2024, is causing back-to-back mass bleaching events in the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

Climate

Climate change is driving the extreme heat baking France’s Olympics

In this week’s Extreme Climate Update, we look at record-breaking temps around the world and explain what the heat index is.

Health & Medicine

Some ‘forever chemicals’ may be absorbed through our skin

PFAS, which are found in common products such as cosmetics, food packaging and waterproof gear, have been linked to health problems.

Climate

Earth’s jet stream helps create the seeds of clouds

The newly discovered process for making aerosols might also be the most productive.

Climate

Earth keeps breaking global heat records

How hot could it get? In the first edition of Science News’ Extreme Climate Update, we look at how high temperatures could soar.

Oceans

In a seafloor surprise, metal-rich chunks may generate deep-sea oxygen

Instead of sinking from the surface, some deep-sea oxygen may be created by battery-like nodules that split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Climate

Twisters asks if you can 'tame' a tornado. We have the answer

Science News talked to a meteorologist and Twisters’ tornado consultant to separate fact from fiction in Hollywood’s latest extreme weather thriller.

Oceans

Can bioluminescent ‘milky seas’ be predicted?

For the first time, a scientist has used ocean and atmospheric data to find a milky sea, a huge expanse of luminous water, in past satellite images.

Oceans

This AI can predict ship-sinking ‘freak’ waves minutes in advance

The model, which was trained on data from ocean buoys to identify potential rogue waves, could help save lives.

Climate

Plants might not hold on to carbon as long as we thought

Radiocarbon from bomb tests reveals that plants store more carbon than previously estimated in leaves and stems, which are vulnerable to degradation.

Environment

Landfills belch toxic ‘forever chemicals’ into the air

An analysis of samples from three Florida landfills shows that landfill gas can carry more PFAS than the liquid that leaches from the waste.

Environment

The world has water problems. This book has solutions

The Last Drop tackles global water problems and explores how humans can better manage the precious resource.