Mount Everest’s Death Zone
The zone above 8,000 meters is known among mountaineers as the “Death Zone.” Why do most deaths in the high mountains occur at these extreme heights?
Controlling a Hurricane
In the mid-20th century, the United States government invested in two major projects designed to control hurricanes by seeding the storm clouds.
Why People Live In Earthquake Zones
Millions of people now live atop fault lines because long ago small communities gathered at fresh water sources.
Why Tornadoes Are So Difficult to Predict
Scientists and weather forecasters have been trying to understand tornadoes for over 100 years, but the average advanced warning is still only 14 minutes.
Lee Smolin: Science Works Because We Care to Know the Truth
Lee Smolin speaks on quantum gravity, the nature of time, the role of ethics in science, and the importance of realism.
Exploring Lake Baikal
The world's largest, deepest freshwater lake is home to hundreds of species that don't live anywhere else on Earth. But it's threatened by climate change.
The Dramatic Waves That Sink Ships
Rogue waves are becoming larger and more dangerous. But even long-term studies have not made these waves any easier to predict or avoid.
Kuiper Belt Objects Are as Mysterious as They Are Distant
Recently the New Horizons spacecraft made the first flyby of a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) in the extreme outer solar system. What do we know about KBOs?
How to Avoid a Meteor
It isn’t likely that Earth will be hit by a large meteor, but if it were, the results would be catastrophic.