Change is one thing we can always count on in life, and viruses are no exception. Variants of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus have been found in various parts of the world, and while this may sound alarming, it is really quite typical, or even “humdrum,” as one Nature research puts it. Virologists had predicted that…
Bell’s latest designs, unveiled on Monday, are hybrid flying machines that promise to take off and land like helicopters while still zooming around at high speeds like jets. A small, autonomous fighter-jet-like airplane that could land like a helicopter, pick someone up, and then whisk them away is one of the three new ideas. These…
Vaccinated persons may be just as likely as unvaccinated people to spread the Delta variant, according to the CDC. Vaccines, on the other hand, are still beneficial in averting serious illness, hospitalization, and death. Meanwhile, as the Olympics continue to be held amid emergency lockdowns, Japan is witnessing its greatest virus wave to date. Furthermore,…
As the sky becomes increasingly clogged with noise from billions of cellphones, federal agencies are fighting for radio waves used to help anticipate climate change. NOAA and NASA are on one side. They’ve created space satellites that passively gather and interpret the faint energy signals emitted by changes in water vapor, temperature, rain, and wind,…
Shark Week, which is now in its 33rd year, is the longest-running cable event in history, with 27 million viewers—a huge audience for marine biologists and conservationists. The goal of Shark Week, according to Discovery Channel, is to bring attention to the most recent scientific findings on these underwater predators and to inspire conservation efforts…
The spotted lanternfly was discovered for the first time in Pennsylvania in 2014, and it has since expanded to 26 counties in that state as well as at least six other eastern states. It’s making its way into New England’s southern reaches, as well as Ohio and Indiana. This Asian insect, which is about 1…
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It’s amazing how much a year can change things. If you didn’t work in a hospital or on a construction site before March 2020, it’s doubtful you’d ever worn a face mask. We now have a slew of KN95s and bandanas, as well as surgical masks and floral-printed cloth coverings. This is life during a…
It’s uncommon to be able to drive off-roading completely silently, but the 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4xe provides exactly that: an unexpectedly peaceful trip through the woods. That’s because the Wrangler 4xe (pronounced “four by e”) has a 400-volt, 17-kilowatt-hour, 96-cell battery pack mounted in the middle of the vehicle, providing enough power for…
Bobby Monacella was sick of sending her two children to school on diesel-polluted buses. Inside those distinctive yellow buses, pollution levels can be up to ten times higher than outside. Monacella, who volunteers with the climate advocacy group Mothers out Front, said, “They’re sitting on the bus for almost an hour a day, and when…