The Scary Math of EEE Prevention
What is a human life worth? That’s really the question at the heart of a controversy brewing over aerial pesticide spraying to kill mosquitos that may carry the viruses responsible for West Nile or...
View Article30 Issues: Why You Should Care About ... Climate Change
It’s been said so many times, it’s hard to even find an original source. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but not her own facts.When it comes to climate change, though, there seem to be...
View ArticleGoing to Extremes for Science
I've read my fair share of science books and field blogs and talked to more than a few scientists. In most cases, I hear their stories and think "Cool! I want to do that!" In a few other cases, I think...
View ArticlePhotosynthesis for Children of All Ages
Plants and photosynthetic bacteria sustain much of life on Earth. They form the base of food chains both on land and in the ocean, and they produce the oxygen we breathe. Indeed, when the first...
View ArticleThe Politics of Science Funding
While it may not be the issue that decides elections, funding for scientific research is a fundamentally political beast. Take, for example, President George W. Bush's 2004 manned space exploration...
View ArticleRealizing the Potential of Ocean Energy
Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth's surface. Those vast waters provide food, enable global shipping and drive the global climate. They could also provide much of the world's electricity needs....
View ArticleOn the Cape, Sandy Beaches ... or Not
Hurricane Sandy couldn't have been more appropriately named. With storm surges of 3-6 feet around the Cape and Islands, and up to 12 feet along the Jersey Shore, coastal erosion is one after-effect...
View ArticleThe Pteropod Project: Sea Butterflies, Climate Change, and Art
You've no doubt heard of the butterfly effect. Well, Gareth Lawson of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has his own version: the sea butterfly effect. As carbon dioxide emissions build up in the...
View ArticleUnderstanding Your Carbon Food-print
While conversations about climate change typically focus on cars or power plants, the food we eat is a major factor that often flies under the radar. Food - it's production, processing, and transport -...
View ArticleWhy Deep Sea Volcanoes Matter
Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface, so it’s no surprise that three quarters of volcanic activity happens on the sea floor. Understanding those volcanoes has ramifications for everything...
View ArticleToxic Chemicals Found in Household Dust
Dust is unsightly, a sign of poor housekeeping, perhaps. But toxic? Unfortunately, yes.In 2003, researchers from Massachusetts-based Silent Spring Institute sampled dust from 120 homes on Cape Cod...
View ArticleEmpowering Everyone to Explore Life's Diversity
I feel like I'm becoming a broken record. Each week, my guests wow me with just how little we know about their chosen field. Today, it was the diversity of life on Earth. Earlier this year,...
View ArticleThe Science of Fisheries
There’s nothing new about tension between New England’s fishermen and the scientists and regulators who oversee their industry. But the situation has reached fever pitch in the past two years, in large...
View ArticleHeather Goldstone on Bottle Ban: Reduce More, Recycle Less
WGBH reporter Adam Reilly recently looked into the plastic bottle ban in Concord, Mass, finding the town split between environmental and business concerns.For additional, environmental context, Morning...
View ArticleHow Acoustic Monitoring Could Help Protect Cod Stocks
Here's your science factoid of the day: male Atlantic cod grunt during spawning season. It may sound like useless trivia, but that behavior could help» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleHow Cooperative Research Could Ease Tensions Between Fishermen, Regulators
This week, WGBH News is putting a focus on New England's fisheries with the series Long Haul: the Future of New England's Fishing Industry. WGBH's science» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleClimate Changes Forcing Fish Stocks To Migrate North
For decades, fishery management has focused almost exclusively on the need to restrict fishing. Now, environmental changes are forcing fishermen and» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleStudy: New Wave Of Deforestation Poses Threat In Mass.
Harvard researchers caution that careful planning is needed to protect Massachusetts forests, and the ecological services they provide. Massachusetts is...» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
View ArticleFive (Science) Books to Take to the Beach
Beach reading should be enjoyable, of course, but that doesn't mean it has to be brainless.» E-Mail This
View ArticleCould This Be The End For Gulf Of Maine Cod?
New England's cod fishermen are struggling with drastically reduced catch allowances. A new report says the fish are disappearing anyway.» E-Mail This
View Article
