This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network. BAKU, Azerbaijan—During 2024, the hottest year on record, snowpack in the Himalaya Mountains has plummeted to unprecedented lows, the Arctic has become a net carbon emitter, and once stable Antarctic sea ice appears to be permanently melting. The deterioration of the planet’s… Continue reading Melting Glaciers Are Causing Billions of Dollars of Damage
Nearly 4 Years Later, No Letup in Jan. 6 Prosecutions, Possible Pardons or Not
Even as President-elect Donald Trump promised on Sunday to act “very quickly” on pardons for many of the protesters involved in the events of January 6, the Biden administration’s Justice Department is continuing to arrest and try people for actions that occurred almost four years ago while opposing motions to delay trials because of the… Continue reading Nearly 4 Years Later, No Letup in Jan. 6 Prosecutions, Possible Pardons or Not
Teen Mathematicians Tie Knots Through a Mind-Blowing Fractal
Menger’s statement didn’t distinguish between homeomorphic curves. His proof only guaranteed, for instance, that the circle could be found in his sponge — not that all homeomorphic knots could be, their loops and tangles still intact. Malors wanted to prove that you could find every knot within the sponge. It seemed like the right mashup… Continue reading Teen Mathematicians Tie Knots Through a Mind-Blowing Fractal
Fish Have a Brain Microbiome. Could Humans Have One Too?
The human gut microbiome plays a critical role in the body, communicating with the brain and maintaining the immune system through the gut-brain axis. So it isn’t totally far-fetched to suggest that microbes could play an even larger role in our neurobiology. Fishing for Microbes For years, Irene Salinas has been fascinated by a simple… Continue reading Fish Have a Brain Microbiome. Could Humans Have One Too?
Nation’s Second Largest School District Revises Race-Based Grant Program
In August, the nation’s second-largest school district announced a major policy shift that caused the soon-to-be-unemployed minds at the Los Angeles Times editorial board to collectively explode last month. Why? Because in the wake of a federal civil rights complaint filed by Parents Defending Education in 2023, the U.S. Department of Education forced the Los… Continue reading Nation’s Second Largest School District Revises Race-Based Grant Program
The AI Pioneer With Provocative Plans for Humanity
Before he became a decorated pioneer of artificial intelligence, Raj Reddy grew up far from a computer lab. As a child in the 1940s, he lived in rural Katur, Andhra Pradesh, India. His one-room schoolhouse had no paper or pencils, so he learned to write letters in a plot of sand. On hot nights in… Continue reading The AI Pioneer With Provocative Plans for Humanity
The God of LEGO Men! (And More Patrons Questions)
Podcast: Download MYS341: We regularly give Patrons the opportunity to ask Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli their mysterious questions and make them available exclusively to Patrons first and then later to the whole audience. This time the questions cover LEGO minifigs; cryptids; tulpas; D.D. Home; AI; language acquisition, and more. Get all new episodes automatically… Continue reading The God of LEGO Men! (And More Patrons Questions)
How Is Cell Death Essential to Life?
Death might seem like a pure loss, the disappearance of what makes a living thing distinct from everything else on our planet. But zoom in closer, to the cellular level, and it takes on a different, more nuanced meaning. There is a challenge in simply defining what makes an individual cell alive or dead. Scientists today… Continue reading How Is Cell Death Essential to Life?
Generative AI Could Generate Millions More Tons of E-Waste by 2030
November 14, 2024 3 min read Generative AI Is Poised to Worsen the E-Waste Crisis Generative AI could saddle the planet with heaps more hazardous waste By Saima S. Iqbal A server room in a data center. Every time generative artificial intelligence drafts an e-mail or conjures up an image, the planet pays for it.… Continue reading Generative AI Could Generate Millions More Tons of E-Waste by 2030
All Life on Earth Today Descended From a Single Cell. Meet LUCA.
Alternatively, LUCA may have dined on the chemical waste of other creatures, suggesting that it was already part of a complex ecosystem with other microbes. The analysis can’t provide direct evidence of this possible ancient ecology, since traces of such lineages are long gone. But it’s unlikely that LUCA would have evolved complexity in isolation,… Continue reading All Life on Earth Today Descended From a Single Cell. Meet LUCA.