Learn about the periodic weather system known as El Niño and how it affects weather on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Tag Archives: Science & Nature
Horror Films for Apes Are Teaching Scientists About Long-Term Memory
Japanese science researchers observed how apes use their long-term memory by showing “horror” movies to chimpanzees. They used an eye tracker device to record the chimps eye movements in response to the key action scenes in the movies.
Wild Things Next Door: Dangers of Exotic Pets
This news clip gives an overview of the dangers of keeping exotic animals as pets.
Why We Need the Wild
Professor David Gessner of the University of North Carolina Wilmington reviews the nature writing in Jason Mark’s recently-published Satellites in the High Country, and he touches on some transcendental ideas in the process.
The Decades That Invented the Future, Part 1: 1900-1910
The turn of the century from the 1800s to the 1900s was a time of great innovation and growth. Read about some of the influential inventions of the twentieth century’s first decade.
Nature Studies: Is it possible to put a price on nature? And if we can, should we?
Environmental columnist Michael McCarthy expresses his uncertainty about a question posed at a high-profile debate.
Losing the Dark
The next time you feel like looking “up in perfect silence at the stars,” you might be out of luck. Light pollution is increasingly obliterating our view of the stars. Watch this short film to find out more.
How to Survive an Avalanche
Learn about the warning signs of an impending avalanche and what to expect if such a disaster happens to you.
Oak Tree: Nature’s Greatest Survivor review
If the great oak tree could see, what stories might it tell? Well, apparently it can reveal a lot! Read about the life of this 400-year-old oak tree in Oxfordshire, England.
What makes space travel so dangerous?
Read about the risks astronauts face when exploring space.
Ocean Explorer: Technology
Earth’s last frontier is the ocean. Learn about the history of ocean exploration and the latest technology that’s helping today’s explorers learn more than ever before.
Mountains and planning lessened punch by Hurricane Patricia
Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the western hemisphere, did remarkably little damage to the Mexican coast where it made landfall. Find out what natural forces caused it to form and to dissipate so rapidly.
Ten Years Without a Hurricane Hit, Is Florida’s Lucky Streak About to End?
Newcomers to Florida might not be prepared to face a hurricane. This news report provides information about important preparations that people should make to deal with this natural disaster.
Beyond Denali: Restoring Native American names
Read about the movement to change the names of national natural sites back to their Native American names.
Technobiophilia: Can we get all the nature we need in digital form?
Digital expert Sue Thomas explains that humans have a genetic attraction to the natural world, but argues that digital representations of nature may satisfy our needs.
Where the Buffalo No Longer Roamed
While the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad connected the East coast and the West coast, it also led to the further decrease of the Native American population, as well as that of buffalo herds.
Revenge and the people who seek it
Psychologists study what leads people to seek revenge and how they feel after undertaking vengeful acts.
Fake memory implanted in mice with a beam of light
If you can’t trust your own memory, what can you trust? Researchers have discovered a way to change how mice view a location by creating a false memory of it in targeted neurons.
Decision-Making is Still a Work in Progress for Teenagers
Have parents or teachers ever told you that you’re not old enough to decide? There are differences between adolescent brains and adult brains, so it might be true. Read about the study at the McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center in Boston, Massachusetts, that used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare the activity of teenage brains to that of adults.
Floods, Fires, Storms are Fodder for Centuries of Poems
Poet and editor Jeffrey Yang reminds us how disasters can stimulate creativity. In this video he discusses a collection of poems about how we heal after disasters and how the beauty and power of nature can help.