Category: ScienceNews

The demand for water from the Colorado River is of paramount importance out West and the focus of some big battles. It's been especially critical for farming and agriculture. In California's Imperial Valley, there are growing questions over the use of that resource and whether bigger changes are needed. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Feel like summers are hotter than they used to be? It’s not just your imagination. Climate researchers say that average annual temperatures around the country have been trending upwards for the past 50 years — and are still on the rise. But it can be hard to represent those numbers in a way that makes sense to everyday people. So Gulf States Newsroom reporter and New Orleans resident Drew Hawkins wondered: What if he could help people hear those changes for themselves? Turn temperatures into tunes?

This episode is part of Nature Quest, a monthly Short Wave segment that answers listener questions about their local environment.

Got a question about changes in your local environment? Send a voice memo to shortwave@npr.org with your name, where you live and your question. We might make it into our next Nature Quest episode!

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Deep sea mining for rare earth elements could start as early as 2026, even as 38 countries have called for a moratorium on it. The metals that companies are targeting are used in many green technologies like electric cars and wind turbines – but mining them is destructive to the environment. Some in the mining industry say the mining is necessary to a green transition – and essential to democratizing that transition globally since the supply chain is currently dominated by a single country, China. Meanwhile, some scientists caution against mining before the full scope of environmental damage can be understood. Can there be balance in this environmental and political push-and-pull? Hosts Regina G. Barber and Emily Kwong dive into this debate and talk about what science has to say. 


Curious about other science controversies? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.


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Scientists are flocking to Iceland to investigate an increasingly crucial question: Will melting glaciers accelerate and intensify earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? William Brangham reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

CrowdScience listener Paul from Uganda is fascinated by military uniforms. The outfits of so many different armies, from different countries all around the world, often look remarkably similar – mottled shades of olive green camouflage.

Where did it come from? How does it work as camouflage? And what inspired it?

Alex Lathbridge delves into the science, the history and the future of camouflage.

As Nepal makes 97 peaks free to climb, we look at the science of overtourism – especially on mountains. How do so many visitors affect these environments, and what can be done? Plus, are mountains carbon sources, or carbon sinks? And why do we feel the drive to summit these peaks anyway? A psychologist specialising in thrill-seeking explains.

Also on the show, we take your questions, read out your comments, and look at what it takes to physically measure the height of a peak like Everest.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Chhavi Sachdev and Leonie Joubert Producers: Margaret Sessa Hawkins, with Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, Imaan Moin and Lucy Davies

Chocolate may fill grocery store shelves around the world, but the raw product that powers chocolate is far more selective. The majority of chocolate farms are found in West Africa and South America – just 20 degrees north or south of the equator. Each farm produces chocolate of a different flavor. Some cocoa tastes fruitier; others, more floral. Nutty. Earthy. Spicy. But what drives these different flavor profiles? And can it be recreated in a lab? 

A team led by scientists at the University of Nottingham in the UK sought to find out and published their results in the journal Nature Microbiology this week. 

Curious about other ways science intersects with food? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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A desktop nuclear fusion reactor that uses electrochemistry to up the ante. Also, a global survey of human wildfire exposures finds Africa burning ahead, plus tiny swarming robots and record-breaking 2024 ice melts from glaciers on Svalbard.

Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Jana Holesworth

(Image: The Thunderbird Reactor at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Credit: Berlinguette Group, UBC)

South Florida is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Start-ups, local governments and researchers are working to make the area more resilient, but federal funding cuts may hinder those efforts. William Brangham traveled to the region and reports for our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Thirty years ago, park rangers reintroduced grey wolves into Yellowstone National Park. They wanted to restore the ecosystem and get the elk population, which had decimated the plant community, in check. And it worked – or so the popular narrative suggests. But is it really so simple? Today on the show, we explore how the Yellowstone ecosystem has changed since wolves returned and whether those changes can really be pinned solely on wolves. Plus, how the narrative of the Yellowstone wolf legacy could affect wolf reintroduction elsewhere.

Curious about other science controversies? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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