This Chemical Is So Hot It Destroys Nerve Fibers—in a Good Way
Resiniferatoxin is 10,000 times hotter than the hottest pepper, and has features that make it promising as a painkiller of last resort.
The Camp, Hill, and Woolsey Fires Are Climate Change at Work
Though we can point to a lack of rainfall to explain the devastation from the fires in California, they're ultimately a product of a warming world.
These Wind Patterns Explain Why California’s Wildfires Are So Bad
The Camp Fire, Hill Fire, and Woolsey Fire share an origin in the jet stream, which has produced extreme winds that are spreading the flames and hampering firefighting efforts.
Camp Fire: The Terrifying Science Behind California’s Massive Blaze
Lots of wind along with very dry vegetation turned the Northern California wildfire into a high-speed menace that tore through Paradise and Butte County.
Bees Are Dying Off. Tiny QR Code Backpacks May Help Save Them
A novel system monitors the dynamics of colonies exposed to imidacloprid, a neurotoxin that belongs to the infamous neonicotinoid group of pesticides.
Midterms 2018: Weed Wins on Election Day
A win for marijuana in Michigan, Utah, and Missouri may foreshadow a win for cannabis nationwide.
The Entourage Effect: How THC and Other Weed Compounds Mix
Some call it the entourage effect: THC achieves its full effects only when it rolls with a crew of other compounds.
The Sea May Be Absorbing Way More Heat Than We Thought
Scientists have developed a radical new method for measuring global warming-induced rising ocean temperatures: They aren't sampling water, but air.
Los Angeles Must Pay Billions to Adapt—or Slip Into the Sea
It’ll take LA as much as $6.4 billion to fortify itself against an impending increase in coastal flooding, with moves such as nourishing its beaches with extra sand and elevating its ports.
How Boston Dynamics’ Robot Videos Became Internet Gold
CEO Marc Raibert shares the backstory of his company's viral videos and how the internet's favorite robot dog, SpotMini, came to be.