Long After the Flames Go Out, Wildfire Smoke Lingers — Even if We Can’t See It
When wildfire smoke dissipates, we tend to forget all about it. But smoke stays in the air for long after, influencing the world around us in unseen ways. ...read more
Category: Discover Magazine
A Mesmerizing View of Earth From Space
An animation of satellite imagery shows the ebb and flow of weather systems over nearly an entire month — including one of the most damaging storms on record in the Southern Hemisphere. ...read more
Tracking Whales by Satellite to Help Them Avoid Potentially Deadly Entanglements
Whales attracted to commercial fishing operations and other human activities can wind up in real trouble. A young Norwegian researcher is trying to help. ...read more
What Happens in a Black Hole?
Things are about to get weird. ...read more
The Many Mini-Moons of Planet Earth
To human eyes, there's only one Moon. Look more closely, and it turns out we have a large, ever-shifting family of satellites. ...read more
People Like Songs About “You”
Songs with lyrics that frequently address "you" are more popular, perhaps because this helps us imagine that "you" refers to people in our own lives ...read more
NASA Wants You to Photograph Starlink Satellites With Your Smartphone
SpaceX and others plan to launch thousands of new satellites into low-Earth orbit, creating streaks that cut through astronomers’ images. Now NASA’s education office is asking citizen scientists to help document the problem. ...read more
Why Bats Are Breeding Grounds for Deadly Diseases Like Ebola and SARS
Bats are the source of more dangerous viruses than any other mammal. Evolutionary tricks and fierce immune systems make them the perfect hosts. ...read more
First Food in Space: Toothpaste Tubes of Applesauce and Beef
Astronaut food has drastically improved over the decades, but the monotony of the menu remains a challenge for long-term spaceflight. ...read more
When a Supervolcano Erupted, These Ancient People Survived the Blankets of Ash
An eruption in Sumatra might have made life more difficult in modern-day India, but it probably didn't wipe out all residents. ...read more