Evolution
See the Beautiful Color of Rare Birds from Every Angle and in Three Dimensions
A new project will create high-definition interactive models of 2,000 feathered flyers.
Stories by Erik Olsen
Natural Disasters
Misconceptions about Wildfires Are Fueling the Problem
The 2020 wildfire season was the worst in California’s recorded history, with more than four million acres burned and almost 10,500 structures destroyed across the state. The fires were heavily covered by the news media, and some reports suggested California had suffered apocalyptic devastation and permanent loss...
Environment
A Map 15 Years in the Making Illuminates a 'Grand Canyon' off California's Coast
Monterey Canyon has come into spectacular view after a decade and a half of effort
Biology
Drones Capture Close Encounters between Great White Sharks and Beachgoers
Over the past decade, the number of encounters between humans and sharks swimming off the coast of California has risen dramatically. Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, says this summer is shaping up to be a major year for these sharks along the state’s 840-mile coastline...
Environment
Seeing through the Sea
Why do all the pictures you take underwater look blandly blue-green? The answer has to do with how light travels through water. Derya Akkaynak, an oceangoing engineer, has figured out a way to recover the colorful brilliance of the deep...
Computing
Sea-thru Brings Clarity to Underwater Photos
A new algorithm counteracts the distorting impact of water
