Even with immediate action, 710 million metric tons of plastic will enter the environment in the…
Author: Matt Simon
During Lockdowns, the Earth (Sort of) Stood Still
Seismometers pick up human activity, like driving. When Covid arrived, scientists watched that global seismic noise…
The Terrible Consequences of Australia’s Uber-Bushfires
Scientists calculate that the unprecedented wildfires burned 37,500 square miles. For already endangered species, the conflagration…
Vantablack? Meh. Meet the Ultra-Black Vantafish
Scientists have found that some fishes absorb up to 99.956 percent of the light that hits…
Your Car Is Spewing Microplastics That Blow Around the World
When you drive, tiny bits of plastic fly off your tires and brakes. Now scientists have…
You Don’t Need Single-Use Plastic Bags. You Need a Mask
Honestly, you should just be disinfecting your reusable bags—the real issue is airborne virus, not infected…
How a ‘Heat Dome’ Forms—and Why This One Is So Perilous
A massive, intense heat wave is settling over the continental US. The ravages of the Covid…
The Epic Siberian Journey to Solve a Mass Extinction Mystery
A quarter-billion years ago, huge volcanic eruptions burned coal, leading to the worst extinction in Earth’s…
Your Firework Smoke Could Be Tainted With Lead
It may be the most unpatriotic toxicology study ever, but so be it: Metals give fireworks…
The Anthropause: How the Pandemic Gives Scientists a New Way to Study Wildlife
A group of scientists argue that the Covid lockdown, what they’re calling the “anthropause,” is an…