The Red Planet was once the Fire Planet, with eruptions that led to a global freeze
EcocentricDisasters
The Medieval Volcanic Eruption That Triggered a Year Without Summer
Ancient chronicles told of an unusually cold summer in the year of 1258. Now researchers have found the volcanic eruption that temporarily changed the planet’s climate.
Window on Infinity: Pictures from Space
From an explosion on the sun to a successful docking of a commercial spacecraft with the International Space Station, to a frog sent accidentally flying by a NASA rocket launch, it was an exciting month in the space biz—unless …
Gravity Fact Check: What the Season’s Big Movie Gets Wrong
The new cosmic thriller makes a lot of small mistakes and some big ones—though you may not notice them through the gasps
Who Needs Nouns? How Toddlers Learn to Speak
Children acquire language in very different ways depending on their native tongue. That can make a big difference for kids with learning disabilities
EcocentricDisasters
The Hard Math of Flood Insurance in a Warming World
As subsidized rates of federal flood insurance rise, property owners along the coasts get angry. But we need insurance that reflects the risks of a changing planet
In Space, 3-D Printer Will Make Satellites On The Fly
NASA is launching its first 3-D printer into space next year, allowing astronauts to travel farther from earth
EcocentricEnergy
The Benefits and Perils of Energy Abundance
40 years after a Mideast oil embargo decimated the U.S., the country is awash in new supplies of energy, from oil to natural gas to solar. But that abundance could make fighting climate change harder
Space Race 2013: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, Who’s Going Nowhere
The space-travel industry is more competitive than ever — and just as in all industries, there will be winners and losers
Mars Like You’ve Never Seen It Before
In a stunning new book, This is Mars, editor and designer Xavier Barral makes visual magic from images captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.