Climate Change
Heavy Rains and Hurricanes Clear a Path for Supercharged Mold
Warmer temperatures and rising CO2 can also ramp up some fungal toxins and allergens
Stories by Erik Vance
Natural Disasters
Early Warnings of Terrible Earthquakes Appear High in the Sky, a New Theory Says
The best early warnings of a big disaster may appear 180 miles above the ground, a controversial new theory says
Conservation
Scaring Animals Can Help Save Them
Conservationists are using behavior modification to bolster kangaroo mice, bears, elk and other critters
Cognition
Sorry, Mom and Dad, Toys Cannot Supercharge Your Baby
Hundreds of toys promise to help babies read, learn, do math and walk earlier than expected—many without scientific backing
Cognition
Your Brain Is So Easily Fooled
Journalist Erik Vance talks about his first book, Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain’s Ability to Deceive, Transform and Heal.
Biology
Biology's Beloved Amphibian--the Axolotl--Is Racing toward Extinction
Although abundant in captivity, the salamander has nearly disappeared from its natural habitat—and that is a problem
Natural Disasters
Why the Mexico City Earthquake Shook Up Disaster Predictions
Tuesday’s deadly quake did not come from the place many geologists thought would unleash the next “big one”
Conservation
Goodbye, Vaquita: How Corruption and Poverty Doom Endangered Species
What the demise of a small Mexican porpoise tells us about extinction in the 21st century
Neuroscience
The Genius of Pinheads: When Little Brains Rule
Bigger brains are not always better
Natural Disasters
Slow Quakes Add Clues for Forecasting Terrible Tremors
The quiet events could be valuable signs of danger areas even if they don’t make short-term prediction possible
Environment
How Hurricane Patricia Quickly Became a Monster Storm
The ideal combination of high ocean temperature, soaring humidity and slow prevailing winds created the record-breaking beast
Conservation
China's Fish Farms Could Save the Oceans
How a small group of visionaries are trying to feed China—and save the world's oceans
Environment
Only China Can Save the Seas [Commentary]
Unless the world’s largest consumer of seafood adopts more sustainable practices, we can say good-bye to ocean life as we know it
Evolution
New Artifact-Filled Chambers Revealed under Teotihuacan
Rooms beneath the mysterious city contain jade statues, jaguar remains and thousands of other objects
The Sciences
Decoding Mexico's City of Gods
Long cloaked in mystery, the ancient Teotihuacán culture is at last giving up its secrets
Environment
Good Friday Quake in Mexico City Tested Region’s Preparations for Bigger One
The city’s unusual geology allows engineers and seismologists to rely upon exceptional safety measures
Evolution
Building a Better Lobster Trap
So-called casitas , an alternative to conventional traps, are used throughout Latin America. Although using them in the U.S. would offer environmental advantages, opposition by traditional fishers make it unlikely they will be legalized in anytime soon...
Evolution
Bee Researchers Make Friends with a Killer
Latin America finds Africanized killer bees are better honey producers than expected
The Sciences
Why Mexico Struggles to Make Science Pay Off
The nation is poised to explode into the information economy—and yet stubbornly refuses to do so
Biology
Ghostly Underwater Museum Aims to Divert Tourists from Endangered Reef
Colorful sponges and other marine life are starting to colonize the museum’s statuary and draw tourists away from a threatened natural reef off the Cancun coast
