Environment

Earth

Meet the sneaky and surprisingly dangerous squall-line tornado

These destructive, radar-dodging twisters often form at night. Emerging data from the U.S. Southeast might soon make forecasting the tornadoes possible.

Earth

As Yellowstone’s supervolcano slumbers, another big danger lurks

Superheated water beneath Yellowstone could fuel hydrothermal explosions with the force of an atomic bomb. And lessons from the past suggest they could happen today.

Tech

Lasers help put the cork on spilled oil

Treating cork with lasers made the material able to quickly sponge up oil while repelling water, scientists in China and Israel found.

Chemistry

Scientists Say: Methane

Used to cook food and heat homes, this potent greenhouse gas accounts for 30 percent of the warming of our climate.

Environment

To limit pollution, new recipe makes plastic a treat for microbes

Microplastics made from fossil fuels take centuries to disappear. But the plant- and algae-based plastic can break down in weeks to months.

Chemistry

Air pollution can make it harder for pollinators to find flowers

Pollutants that build up in night air can break down the scents that attract pollinating hawkmoths to primrose blooms, disrupting their pollination.

Chemistry

Turning jeans blue with sunlight might help the environment

When dipped in indican and exposed to sunlight, yarn turns a deep blue. This process is more eco-friendly than the current denim dyeing method.

Earth

Experiment: Can plants stop soil erosion?

Soil erosion washes pollutants into streams and rivers — but plants may help limit that.

Environment

Scientists Say: Carbon capture

Carbon capture technology tackles climate change by stomping out carbon dioxide at the source.

Health & Medicine

Health problems persist in Flint 10 years after water poisoning

Flint, Mich., residents still show health impacts long after a switch in their drinking-water source exposed them to toxic lead and other pollutants.

Health & Medicine

9 things to know about lead’s health risks — and how to curb them

Lead has been linked to lower IQ, behavior problems, mental-health disorders, strokes and more health impacts. There are ways to reduce your exposure.

Microbes

Let’s learn about useful bacteria

Bacteria do many useful jobs almost everywhere on Earth, from the soil to the seafloor to our stomachs.