Scientists are making progress with better plastic-eating bacteria
The team that accidentally created a plastic-eating enzyme pushes to make it more efficient.
Tag: Features
Can industrial farming be a force for good?
Large-scale farming has a well-earned rep as America’s top eco-villain. But what if the industry could change to be more sustainable? Unthinkable? Turns out, shifting to accommodate our planet is the entire story of agriculture in the United States.
A red tide devastated Florida marine life for 16 months. Why?
Florida’s recent red tide outbreak was devastating to marine life and the tourist industry. Researcher are trying to figure out ways to fight the next big bloom.
Scientists are putting antibiotics into the ocean—on purpose. And it’s our only hope.
A mysterious new coral epidemic is ravaging reefs across the Florida Keys. Antibiotics are just one part of a massive rescue operation with little time to spare.
Urban forests are dying. Baltimore shows us how to bring them back.
Urban canopies help our air, health, and electric, bills, but they’re shrinking. Proactive cities like Baltimore are determined to bring them back.
This pyrotechnics expert turned his Minnesota backyard into a DIY fireworks testing ground
Ken Miller designs smoke displays for NFL games and air shows, but he tests his most destructive creations at home.
The story of the former Olympian who designed the world’s most beloved boat
Kirby is a world-class sailor and Olympian himself but he is most famous as the designer of a slew of boats known for their swiftness, and also their clarity and simplicity. The epitome of his ethos was a blockbuster, one that defined his career and the course of sailing more broadly: the single-person racing dinghy known as the Laser.
The history—and future—of hitting the road
Human civilization wouldn’t be the same without our busy streets and scenic byways, but they’ve changed a lot over the last few thousand years. Challenges such as extreme weather and carbon emissions mean our expressways must evolve even further, so engineers are turning to futuristic fixes to keep traffic flowing.
Meet the experts trying to keep nuclear material out of the wrong hands
As long as nuclear power exists, there will be attempts to swipe its radioactive fuel. Meet the people trying to keep that from happening.
The secret to San Francisco’s famous sourdough: bug poop
Meet the wee, multilegged chefs behind the world’s most sought-after loaves.