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Science

The latest science news, photos and videos covering space, the environment, human development and more.


In case you missed it

Miami's chief heat officer knows the challenges of a climate-focused job in Florida

Jane Gilbert is working to figure out how one of the hottest cities in the U.S. can protect its most vulnerable denizens while navigating Florida politics.
Miami-Dade County Chief Heat Officer Jane Gilbert in Miami on May 15, 2023.
Miami-Dade County Chief Heat Officer Jane Gilbert in Miami on May 15, 2023.

12 months of record ocean heat has scientists puzzled and concerned

The huge temperature anomaly — which climate change alone is unlikely to explain — could be a bad sign for hurricane season.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach
5d ago

SpaceX launches Starship rocket into orbit on test flight, but loses spacecraft during return to Earth

In the rocket’s third and most ambitious test flight yet, it achieved two milestones: Starship successfully reached orbit and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere for the first time.
A person takes a photo as SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight.
A person takes a photo as SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight.

Heat in one Arizona county played a role in 645 deaths last year

Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and many of its suburbs, was hit by a brutal heat wave last sumer.
Image: Adrian Mata stands in the shade while waiting for the bus in Phoenix on July 15.
Image: Adrian Mata stands in the shade while waiting for the bus in Phoenix on July 15.

Playing with dogs helps people concentrate and relax, brain recordings show

In a study of brain activity, walking a poodle made people more relaxed, brushing the dog improved concentration and playing with her had both effects.
Photo Illustration: A woman experiencing alpha brainwaves while hugging her dog
Photo Illustration: A woman experiencing alpha brainwaves while hugging her dog

Wildfires are becoming night owls — and that’s a big problem

Droughts leading to dry vegetation are providing the fuel for wildfires to remain hot overnight, making them more destructive.
Wildfires spread through residential houses in Sicily, Italy on Sept. 23, 2023.
Wildfires spread through residential houses in Sicily, Italy on Sept. 23, 2023.
6d ago

SpaceX prepares third test of Starship rocket

The launch is scheduled for Thursday morning. The company hopes to test a variety of capabilities, including a controlled re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.
The SpaceX Starship lifts off from the launchpad
The SpaceX Starship lifts off from the launchpad

Olympic athletes could face a tough opponent: Brutal Paris heat

The Olympics are planned for the same stretch of days as a catastrophic 2003 heat wave. Continued global warming has only increased the odds of another.
france hot heat cool off sunbathe landmark
france hot heat cool off sunbathe landmark

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef hit by fifth mass bleaching event in eight years

Bleaching does not necessarily kill coral reefs, but it can make them more susceptible to disease.
Bleaching affecting branching coral at a site in the Keppel Islands, Southern Great Barrier Reef, on March 5, 2024.
Bleaching affecting branching coral at a site in the Keppel Islands, Southern Great Barrier Reef, on March 5, 2024.
11d ago

No evidence that U.S. covered up existence of UFOs, Pentagon report says

"Investigative efforts determined that most sightings were the result of misidentification of ordinary objects and phenomena," according to Pentagon review.
An unidentified aerial phenomenon in a U.S. military video.
An unidentified aerial phenomenon in a U.S. military video.

A lack of ice is reshaping winter life around the Great Lakes

The lack of snow and lake ice has left some hearty Midwesterners who ski, skate and fish to question how their lifestyles will persist as the world warms.
Rae-Ann Eifert gathers buckets of water for testing from Lake Michigan
Rae-Ann Eifert gathers buckets of water for testing from Lake Michigan