Read this biography of Wangari Maathi, a Kenyan environmentalist and human rights activist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
Tag Archives: Science & Nature
How a Volcano Helped Inspire Frankenstein
Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein two hundred years ago at a time when a powerful volcanic eruption had caused changes to Europe’s climate. Read to find out how this event affected the author and influenced her famous horror story.
Causes and Effects of Hurricanes
Learn all about some of the most powerful natural disasters on earth.
Earth’s Magnetic Field Flip Could Happen Sooner Than Expected
If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that north is north, right? Not so fast.
The Primitive, Complicated, Essential Emotion Called Fear
You and a mouse aren’t all that different when it comes to the way our brains experience fear.
8 animals helping humans save the planet
From rats to rubber duckies, you might be surprised to learn how animals (both real and man-made) are helping to reduce our impact on the earth.
NASA Finally Found A Spacecraft It Lost Almost 2 Years Ago
Stereo B is a spacecraft that was sent out to record the energy omitted from the sun. Scientists couldn’t track a signal and lost communication with the spacecraft almost 2 years ago. What might the impact of losing a spacecraft be for NASA?
Confirmed: Your Dog Understands What You’re Saying
You probably could tell already that your dog understands when you speak to her! Now there’s research to suggest that dogs may use the same part of the brain as we do when trying to understand what people are saying to them.
Gambling rats reveal nerve cells which may control risk-taking behaviour
Scientists at Stanford University have discovered a region in the brain that consistently predicts risk-taking behavior.
Cities make us forget what’s great about nature
This article examines a study in the journal Science that argues that as urban density grows, humans’ connection to nature decreases. The authors of the study propose that smart city planning can counteract this trend.
Geology And Ancient Fossils Inspired H.P. Lovecraft To Write His Best Horror Story
H.P. Lovecraft, author of “The Outsider,” was fascinated by geology and paleontology. This article explains that his story “At the Mountains of Madness” was based in part on scientific observations from expeditions to Antarctica.
Krubera Cave—The World’s Deepest Cave
Discover the challenges and wonders of exploring a cave over a mile deep in this first-hand account.
Opinion: We Didn’t Domesticate Dogs. They Domesticated Us.
How did prehistoric wolves gradually become domesticated dogs? The authors of the book The Genius of Dogs offer their view.
2015 is warmest year on record, NOAA and NASA say
2014 may have previously been the hottest year on record, but 2015 shattered that record. Read an analysis of these unwelcome superlatives.
Marie Curie
Read about how the famed scientist Marie Curie made her own path to greatness.
What Are El Niño and La Niña?
How can the wind blowing thousands of miles away over the Pacific Ocean affect our everyday lives in the United States? Watch this video to find out.
How to Avoid Shark Attacks
Each new report of a shark attack puts ocean swimmers on edge, but an ichthyologist (that’s a fish expert) provides some tips to help humans avoid unwanted encounters.
Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior
Do socially beneficial actions in our closest cousins reflect how humans evolved a sense of morality? Primatologist Frans de Waal thinks so.
The Nature of Natural: What We See in the Upside-Down Trees
Read about how an art installation called Tree Logic makes the author and her coworkers feel as they pass it daily.
How Terraforming Mars Will Work
What would it take and how long might it take to transform another planet where people, plants and animals can survive?