Humanity Has Turned Land Itself Into a Menace
All of our meddling has primed Earth to collapse under cities and belch greenhouse gases, a nasty feedback loop that’s accelerating global warming.
The World Was Cooler in 2021 Than 2020. That’s Not Good News
The global temperature was down, thanks to La Niña, but it was still the sixth-hottest year on record. And 2 billion people had their warmest year yet.
How Explosives, a Robot, and a Sled Expose a Doomsday Glacier
Thwaites Glacier is crumbling, and fast—if it melts entirely, it could add 10 feet to sea levels. Now Antarctic scientists are racing to survey the damage.
Wildfires Are Digging Carbon-Spewing Holes in the Arctic
Soaring temperatures are rapidly thawing permafrost, leading to huge sinkholes called thermokarst. Northern fires are making the situation even worse.
2021 Was a Huge Missed Opportunity on Climate Action
The pandemic should have been a wake-up call—instead, emissions have climbed once more. Here’s how the US could have seized the opportunity.
How an Aquarium Collects Curious Creatures From the Deep
Take a cruise with scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, as they pilot an SUV-sized robot to collect delicate specimens 1,600 feet down.
See Little Robots Get Swole in This Virtual ‘Gym’
The bizarre robots look like cobbled-together Tetris pieces. A new system “evolves” them to run, climb, and throw stuff better.
Your Rooftop Garden Could Be a Solar-Powered Working Farm
A new scientific field proposes an idea that could help generate food and energy while reducing a building’s cooling costs.
This Drone Uses Piercing Talons to Perch—or Snatch Things
What do you get when you slap 3D-printed raptor legs on a quadcopter? A robot that can land like a falcon to keep an eye on the forest.