Environment(Page 45)

The changes and wonders of the natural world—and how human interaction influences animals, the ocean, and the rest of the environment.

Latest in Environment

Two-headed turtle

A rare two-headed turtle is alive and thriving, surprising scientists A rare two-headed turtle is alive and thriving, surprising scientists

Plastic production is a fossil fuel problem

Plastic production is a fossil fuel problem Plastic production is a fossil fuel problem

By Erica Cirino

fossilized tree fern trunk

Fossilized plants give us hints about what ice age forests may have looked like Fossilized plants give us hints about what ice age forests may have looked like

By Kate Baggaley

Fluorescent microscopy images of nematodes

These worms produce milk, but only when they kick the bucket These worms produce milk, but only when they kick the bucket

By Elana Spivack

Minnesota’s Line 3 pipeline threatens one of North America’s only native grains

Minnesota’s Line 3 pipeline threatens one of North America’s only native grains Minnesota’s Line 3 pipeline threatens one of North America’s only native grains

By Angely Mercado

What we know—and don’t know—about the Huntington Beach oil spill

What we know—and don’t know—about the Huntington Beach oil spill What we know—and don’t know—about the Huntington Beach oil spill

By Sara Kiley Watson

adult Aenigmanu alvareziae

After 50 years, botanists finally identified this Amazonian plant After 50 years, botanists finally identified this Amazonian plant

By Margo Milanowski

A bird flying near a concrete commercial building with large windows on a sunny day.

DIY

How to help birds avoid crashing into your windows How to help birds avoid crashing into your windows

By Natalie Wallington

Chaos spelled in Scrabble pieces

Chaos is more predictable than you think Chaos is more predictable than you think

By Mitchell Newberry/The Conversation

Green Southern cassowary egg drawing

Ancient humans might have bred one of the scariest birds on the planet Ancient humans might have bred one of the scariest birds on the planet

By Elana Spivack

solar panels against a blue sky

Solar power got cheap. So why aren’t we using it more? Solar power got cheap. So why aren’t we using it more?

The price of solar panels just went up—here’s what that means for you

The price of solar panels just went up—here’s what that means for you The price of solar panels just went up—here’s what that means for you

By Eleanor Cummins

a person walking a dog along a trail in the forest

DIY

The right way to walk your dog The right way to walk your dog

By John Kennedy

kid holding puppy laughing

DIY

What you need to know before bringing a puppy home for your kids What you need to know before bringing a puppy home for your kids

By Jean Levasseur

Dog in the tub getting a bath

DIY

How to bathe, brush, and trim your pets at home How to bathe, brush, and trim your pets at home

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

dog with sunglasses at the beach

DIY

Keep your dog safe and cool during summer Keep your dog safe and cool during summer

an illustration of a huge group of small dark birds flying in a cloud-like formation against a colorful sunset

This annual starling murmuration is so dense it’s called ‘The Black Sun’ This annual starling murmuration is so dense it’s called ‘The Black Sun’

By Chris Iovenko

rendering of human shaping of amazon rainforest

This wild grassland in the Amazon isn’t as untouched as it seems This wild grassland in the Amazon isn’t as untouched as it seems

By Philip Kiefer

banana operation

Can this fruit be saved? Can this fruit be saved?

One way to cut down air pollutants: call an Uber

One way to cut down air pollutants: call an Uber One way to cut down air pollutants: call an Uber

By Angely Mercado

A small plant sprouting out of some brown dirt.

DIY

Quick and dirty tips to make sure your plants love the soil they’re in Quick and dirty tips to make sure your plants love the soil they’re in

By Ellen Airhart

How to survive a tsunami

How to survive a tsunami How to survive a tsunami

By Kate Baggaley

Scientists discovered an extremely rare tardigrade fossil trapped in Dominican amber

Scientists discovered an extremely rare tardigrade fossil trapped in Dominican amber Scientists discovered an extremely rare tardigrade fossil trapped in Dominican amber

Whatever you do, don’t set your pet goldfish free in a stream

Whatever you do, don’t set your pet goldfish free in a stream Whatever you do, don’t set your pet goldfish free in a stream

By Mary Beth Griggs

300 years of tree rings show just how badly hurricanes have soaked the Carolinas

300 years of tree rings show just how badly hurricanes have soaked the Carolinas 300 years of tree rings show just how badly hurricanes have soaked the Carolinas

By Kate Baggaley

person's hands holding tiny plant growing out of soil

You have no idea how much you need these bacteria You have no idea how much you need these bacteria

By Erin Fennessy

How to tell if your sustainable investments really are good for the planet

How to tell if your sustainable investments really are good for the planet How to tell if your sustainable investments really are good for the planet

By Angely Mercado

Illustrations of Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi.

This year’s Physics Nobel honors work on the complex systems underlying climate change This year’s Physics Nobel honors work on the complex systems underlying climate change

By Elana Spivack

USGS geophysicist in a hard hat and gas mask at an erupting volcano in Hawaii

How to study a volcano when it destroys your lab How to study a volcano when it destroys your lab

By Sarah Emerson

butterflies emerging from cocoons

City lights could trigger a baby boom for some moths and butterflies City lights could trigger a baby boom for some moths and butterflies

By Margo Milanowski

Midwestern states are paving the way for EV-charging roads

Midwestern states are paving the way for EV-charging roads Midwestern states are paving the way for EV-charging roads

By Angely Mercado

A small snake rearing up and looking forward.

DIY

The best ways to wrangle, repel, and just get snakes out of your home The best ways to wrangle, repel, and just get snakes out of your home

By Natalie Wallington

Goodbye to the Molokai creeper, scioto madtom, and 21 other species, now declared extinct

Goodbye to the Molokai creeper, scioto madtom, and 21 other species, now declared extinct Goodbye to the Molokai creeper, scioto madtom, and 21 other species, now declared extinct

By Margo Milanowski

The IPCC AR6 Working Group I Interactive Atlas with red paleoclimate map

This interactive atlas lets you travel to the future, and past, of climate change This interactive atlas lets you travel to the future, and past, of climate change

By Sara Kiley Watson

Deer on the road at night risking a car crash

These are the days in the year you’re more likely to hit a deer These are the days in the year you’re more likely to hit a deer

By Tom Langen/The Conversation

A bear sleeping, maybe after eating its fill of trash.

DIY

How to keep fat bears (and other bears) out of your trash How to keep fat bears (and other bears) out of your trash

By Natalie Wallington

Parasitic birds like cuckoos seem to target victims who can’t see well

Parasitic birds like cuckoos seem to target victims who can’t see well Parasitic birds like cuckoos seem to target victims who can’t see well

By Kate Baggaley

vampire bats hanging inside a tree

Vampire bats rendezvous with their friends when dining out Vampire bats rendezvous with their friends when dining out

By Elana Spivack

A new program will incentivize utility companies to tap clean sources, and that’s not the only good news

A new program will incentivize utility companies to tap clean sources, and that’s not the only good news A new program will incentivize utility companies to tap clean sources, and that’s not the only good news

By Angely Mercado

Sustainable diet of salad on a pink and purple background

How to eat sustainably without sacrificing your favorite foods How to eat sustainably without sacrificing your favorite foods

By Sara Kiley Watson

Red pickup truck stopped in front of a tornado in Nebraska

3 wild ideas for how to stop a tornado 3 wild ideas for how to stop a tornado

By Popular Science Team

A closeup of a bunch of red maple seed, still red and green and unripe.

Floating whirligig microchips could help us monitor nature without leaving a trace Floating whirligig microchips could help us monitor nature without leaving a trace

An illustration of a 2-legged dinosaur running beside a small brown bird, on a checkered background. Their skin is see-through, revealing bones and tendons.

Two-legged dinosaurs wagged their tails like giant, scaly puppies Two-legged dinosaurs wagged their tails like giant, scaly puppies

Rerouting billions in agriculture subsidies could boost global food security

Rerouting billions in agriculture subsidies could boost global food security Rerouting billions in agriculture subsidies could boost global food security

By Angely Mercado

a human's hands hold a metal rod as they manipulate a rounded piece of orange glass

How glassblowers turn silica, soda ash, and lime into stunning works of art How glassblowers turn silica, soda ash, and lime into stunning works of art

By Rachel Feltman

greenland ice sheet

The jet stream is moving north. Here’s what that means for you. The jet stream is moving north. Here’s what that means for you.

By Philip Kiefer

Lockdown made cities friendlier for some birds

Lockdown made cities friendlier for some birds Lockdown made cities friendlier for some birds

By Kate Baggaley

Smokestacks with greenhouse gas emissions in the sunset over trees

There’s only one country doing its Paris Agreement homework There’s only one country doing its Paris Agreement homework

By Sara Kiley Watson

A frog in a dark pond with its vocal sac filled up with air.

The next generation of skincare might come from frog foam The next generation of skincare might come from frog foam

a baby chimp and baby human

What scientists learned when they tried to raise a chimp with a human baby What scientists learned when they tried to raise a chimp with a human baby

By Popular Science Team

Expecting parents holding an ultrasound

If climate change is impacting your desire to have kids, you’re not alone If climate change is impacting your desire to have kids, you’re not alone

By Sara Kiley Watson

North american porcupine sitting on the ground among wild flower

DIY

How to not get pricked by a North American porcupine How to not get pricked by a North American porcupine

By Natalie Wallington

This 120-million-year-old bird may have been one of the first to shake its tail feathers

This 120-million-year-old bird may have been one of the first to shake its tail feathers This 120-million-year-old bird may have been one of the first to shake its tail feathers

By Kate Baggaley

An illustration of an extinct species of giant penguins. Two penguins stand upright and one huddles down on a rocky island.

Schoolkids in New Zealand discovered a new species of giant penguin Schoolkids in New Zealand discovered a new species of giant penguin

Why a record number of container ships are backed up off the coast of California

Why a record number of container ships are backed up off the coast of California Why a record number of container ships are backed up off the coast of California

Cyclones can be fatal for seabirds, but not in the way you think

Cyclones can be fatal for seabirds, but not in the way you think Cyclones can be fatal for seabirds, but not in the way you think

By Kate Baggaley

Potty-trained cows could seriously help the planet

Potty-trained cows could seriously help the planet Potty-trained cows could seriously help the planet

By Sara Kiley Watson

satellite image of smoke from the australian wildfires

Australian wildfires fueled an algae bloom bigger than the continent itself Australian wildfires fueled an algae bloom bigger than the continent itself

By Philip Kiefer

A humpback whale breaches water and hangs in mid-air, in front of forested cliffs.

A rare humpback whale ‘megapod’ was spotted snacking off the Australian coast A rare humpback whale ‘megapod’ was spotted snacking off the Australian coast

point reyes national seashore lighthouse

Why Point Reyes’ new land management plan is so controversial Why Point Reyes’ new land management plan is so controversial

By Philip Kiefer

Hairs and pores on a southern oak leaf

11 views of the microscopic world in brilliant detail 11 views of the microscopic world in brilliant detail

By Popular Science Team

Humans are pushing into animals’ homes, but nature is as rebellious as ever

Humans are pushing into animals’ homes, but nature is as rebellious as ever Humans are pushing into animals’ homes, but nature is as rebellious as ever

By Sara Kiley Watson

Rendering of mammoth in forest.

This CRISPR startup thinks that mammoths can save the Arctic. Is it right? This CRISPR startup thinks that mammoths can save the Arctic. Is it right?

By Charlotte Hu

greenland seen from an airplane

Greenland is racking up historic climate events Greenland is racking up historic climate events

By Sara Chodosh