Science

Arctic Sea Ice Levels Hit Record Low After Unusually Warm January

Arctic Sea Ice Levels Hit Record Low After Unusually Warm January

By National Snow and Ice Data Center January Arctic sea ice extent was the lowest in the satellite record, attended by unusually high air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean and a strong negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) for the first three weeks of the month. Meanwhile in the Antarctic, this year’s extent was […]

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    5 Brightest Planets Align for First Time in a Decade

    5 Brightest Planets Align for First Time in a Decade

    For the next few weeks, stargazers are in for a treat. It’s the first time in more than a decade that all five planets visible with the naked eye—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn—are visible at the same time. Those in the Northern Hemisphere should look to the south about 45 minutes before sunrise, while those in the Southern […]

    Scientists Link Extreme Weather to Climate Change

    Scientists Link Extreme Weather to Climate Change

    A rapid near-time analysis of the UK’s record-breaking wet December in 2015 suggests that climate change increased the odds of the exceptionally high rainfall by 50-75 percent. Carbon Brief takes a look at the research and quizzes of the experts on the science behind attributing extreme weather events to human-caused climate change. https://twitter.com/CarbonBrief/status/687911101149933568, suggest that […]

    Why Mars as a Backup Planet Isn’t a Good Idea

    Why Mars as a Backup Planet Isn’t a Good Idea

    You’ve probably heard the rallying cry: “There is no planet B.” But maybe you are thinking Mars could make a nice new home if Earth becomes uninhabitable. If so, you should spend the next six minutes watching astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz‘s TED Talk. Walkowicz, who works on NASA’s Kepler mission, which has discovered thousands of potential […]

    Human Emissions Will Delay Next Ice Age by 50,000 Years, Study Says

    Human Emissions Will Delay Next Ice Age by 50,000 Years, Study Says

    The phrase “ice age” may bring to mind woolly mammoths, saber-toothed cats and perhaps Sid the sloth from the animated films. It certainly doesn’t suggest ideal conditions for us distinctly-not-woolly humans. New research suggests that the impact of humans on the planet is pushing back when the Earth might descend into its next ice age. While […]

    Female Fish Eggs Found Inside of Male Fish Testicles

    Female Fish Eggs Found Inside of Male Fish Testicles

    A study published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found large-scale evidence of intersex in smallmouth and largemouth bass in the Northeast U.S., an indicator of endocrine disruption. The study, published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, looks at 19 U.S. National Wildlife Refuges and is the first reconnaissance survey of […]

    Watch 25 Years of Arctic Sea Ice Melt in One Minute

    Watch 25 Years of Arctic Sea Ice Melt in One Minute

    Recent social media posts by The Climate Reality Project are featuring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) one-minute video animation that tracks the relative amount of ice of different ages from 1987 through early November 2014. According to NOAA, decades ago, the majority of the Arctic’s winter ice pack was made up of thick, perennial […]

    Superbug Bacteria Resistant to All Antibiotics Found in the UK

    Superbug Bacteria Resistant to All Antibiotics Found in the UK

    Following the discovery in the UK of bacteria that resist the most common antibiotic of last resort, a leading British expert is warning it is “almost too late” to stop a global superbug crisis. News outlets reported Monday that UK government scientists have found a gene, known as mcr-1, that gives bacteria resistance to colistin, […]