As data storage needs grow more pressing, an unconventional technology offers hope
The Ancient Space Storm That Struck the Earth
More than 1,200 years ago a collision of two dense bodies bathed our planet in gamma rays
Solar Blob Attacks the Earth!
A great eruption known as a coronal mass ejection rattled nerves but did little harm
EcocentricPolitics
Obama Talked Climate Change in His Inaugural Address. Now Can He Do Something About It?
After a disappointing first term, environmentalists are hoping for action on climate change from President Obama—and he promised to deliver. But what can he actually do?
A Room With a View: Scenes From the International Space Station
The world is a decidedly different place from 250 miles up—one too few of us get to see
EcocentricFood
Do Crabs Feel Pain? Maybe — and Maybe We Should Rethink Eating Them
We boil crabs and lobsters alive because it tastes better, and also because we assume they can’t feel pain. But a new study sheds doubt on that idea and should make us pause before our next meaty meal
Weather Patterns on a Cosmic Oddball
The almost-stars known as brown dwarfs have a lot more going on than we knew
EcocentricGoing Green
Federal Forecast for Climate Change: It’s Getting Hot in Here
A new draft report suggests that the climate change we’ve experienced so far is nothing compared to what’s in the pipeline. Can we make a dent in global warming—or is time to just prepare for the worst?
Denizens of the Deep: Alexander Semenov’s Pictures of Undersea Creatures
A Russian diver and zoologist produces astounding photography of undersea creatures.
Stellar Dust Ring Could Promise Big Things
A familiar formation around the nearby star Vega may herald a solar system much like ours.