The Cutest Way to Fight Climate Change? Send in the Otters
A sea otter is a ravenous ecosystem engineer of the highest order. To stay warm and healthy, they eat a…
These Philadelphians Created an App to Prevent Gun Violence
On a warm afternoon, two 16-year-old boys from North Philadelphia signed a contract. By etching their names onto a piece…
Inside the Negotiations to Decide the Fate of Our Planet
So far this year, there has also been a decided absence of civil society presence in these negotiating rooms. “We…
Google Staff Squirm as Remote Workers Face Pay Cuts
That issue of fairness is what gets people so riled up. If employees think they’re getting a rough deal, they…
‘Age of Empires IV’ and Real-Time Strategy Games’ Rocky History
Real-time strategy is having a moment. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition regularly cracks 20,000 simultaneous players on Steam, putting…
In ‘Termination Shock,’ Neal Stephenson Finally Takes on Global Warming
His bushy beard is saltier now than in his old author photos, but Neal Stephenson still pairs it with a…
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Extends Deep into the Gas Giant
The Great Red Spot—the iconic, swirling eye of Jupiter, a persistent storm that could swallow Earth whole—has more surprises yet.…
I Used Facebook Without the Algorithm, and You Can Too
Facebook is broken, says whistleblower Frances Haugen, who worked on the company’s civic integrity team. In testimony before Congress and…
This AI Resurrects Ancient Board Games—and Lets You Play Them
In 1901, on an excavation trip to Crete, British archaeologist Arthur Evans unearthed items he believed belonged to a royal…
California Condors Are Capable of Asexual Reproduction
Neither bird was particularly robust, but the fact that they survived beyond hatching is a big deal. “I think it’s…