For far too long, the blackest black paint has captivated 99.9% of public attention. Now is the time to illuminate the opposite end of the experimental paint spectrum: a new colorant dubbed “the whitest white.” Like its dark version, the fresh paint offers a wide range of possible applications, including thermal camouflage. Its coatings reflect…
Gathering with loved ones to share tales, food, and laughs has been something we’ve done for more than 100,000 years, and it’s one of the most beautiful aspects of being human. However, in recent years, our celebratory occasions have become intertwined with bags of discarded food, flowers, and throwaway decorations, turning our celebrations into a…
Louisiana, one of the country’s top oil producers and refiners, became the first Deep South state to join an interstate climate compact to meet the Paris Climate Agreement’s goals earlier this month. The action is the latest in a series of actions taken by Democratic governor John Bel Edwards to establish a climate strategy for…
Thomas Turner, a marine researcher, dives through the kelp forests in Southern California regularly. His goal was to photograph and collect over 300 sea sponge specimens to learn more about the many sponge populations that dwell off the golden coast. Turner had been spotting odd beige spots on kelp forest rocks for a few years.…
Summer is just a few months away, but the heat has already begun. Feeling heated (and cooling down) is now a part of the everyday grind, thanks to unyielding sunshine and sizzling barbecues. Welcome to August. Wildfires have made headlines worldwide in recent years, from California to Australia—but they are a threat to far more…
Justin Schmidt, a researcher from the Southwestern Biological Institute, was in a tree in Costa Rica in 1987. He was trying to climb closer to a black wasp nest hanging in the limbs of the tree to gather a few specimens for research, and he was shimmying over a branch that hung perilously over a…
Observing what happens when a critical piece of technology fails suddenly is a surefire way to understand its value. E.g., most people probably don’t realize how important the Suez Canal is, but that changed in March when it was abruptly blocked by a grounded container ship. A usually dependable machine had gone down for the…
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is well-known for its extensive research. It is now grappling with what could be the most challenging problem it has ever faced: how to encourage the development of technology for three emerging sectors to harness, move, and store the climate-changing pollution of fossil fuels. The center, like other DOE…
In April, Vice President Joe Biden revealed plans to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. It is a required undertaking if we are to avoid catastrophic and irreversible climate change. However, increasing renewable energy does not come without its challenges. One issue is where to store all of these renewables. According to Bloomberg…
Since crawling out of its nest on a moonlit night and making its way to the sea, a green baby turtle disappears at sea for years before returning to shore. Until recently, scientists assumed that the turtles swam in the open ocean’s main currents. However, recent evidence indicates that the centre of such spinning waters…