EnvironmentJuly 15, 2014
Rising Temperatures Threaten Tropical Species Most
Animals across the tropics will bear the brunt of climate change
Stories by Mark Fischetti
Mark Fischetti was a senior editor at Scientific American for nearly 20 years and covered sustainability issues, including climate, environment, energy, and more. He assigned and edited feature articles and news by journalists and scientists and also wrote in those formats. He was founding managing editor of two spin-off magazines: Scientific American Mind and Scientific American Earth 3.0. His 2001 article “Drowning New Orleans” predicted the widespread disaster that a storm like Hurricane Katrina would impose on the city. Fischetti has written as a freelancer for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian and many other outlets. He co-authored the book Weaving the Web with Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, which tells the real story of how the Web was created. He also co-authored The New Killer Diseases with microbiologist Elinor Levy. Fischetti has a physics degree and has twice served as Attaway Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College of Louisiana, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2021 he received the American Geophysical Union’s Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism. He has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN, the History Channel, NPR News and many radio stations.
EnvironmentJuly 14, 2014
Critics Slam Reports of a "Polar Vortex" in July
Years ago on Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner played a little old lady, Emily Litella, who came onto the Weekend Update news set to deliver an editorial about a burning issue of the day—only she didn't quite have the correct terminology.
The SciencesJuly 1, 2014
New Hotbeds of Innovation Rise in the U.S.
Seattle and Raleigh top the list of cities that are grabbing patents fastest
The SciencesJuly 1, 2014
Foreign Companies Grab Increasing Share of U.S. Patents
Countries and companies scramble to gain a competitive edge
Mind & BrainJune 30, 2014
Free Will: Is Your Brain the Boss of You? [Video]
Philosophers have debated for years whether we deliberately make each of the many decisions we make every day, or if our brain does it for us, on autopilot.
EnvironmentJune 1, 2014
The Paradox of Pollution-Producing Trees
Why some greenery can make smog worse
The SciencesJune 1, 2014
Immigrants Move Up the Wealth Ladder In Steps
Immigrants go gradually up the wealth ladder
EnvironmentMay 31, 2014
Hurricane Season: How Do Storms Form? [video]
The Atlantic Hurricane season officially begins Sunday, June 1, and runs through November 30. Last week various agencies released their predictions for how many hurricanes might develop and how many might be big ones.
EnvironmentMay 19, 2014
Russia and Canada Heat Up Faster Than the Arctic
New maps show that temperatures are rising quickest across Earth’s northern midlatitudes
EnvironmentMay 19, 2014
Plastic Bags: More Cities Get on the Ban-Wagon
Let's face it: plastic bags are really handy. But as we know, they're also terrible for the environment and for wildlife. They jam landfills, where they will not decompose for centuries, and they float across wide swaths of the seas.
Public HealthMay 1, 2014
West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease Spread Across the U.S.
A new season of West Nile, Lyme and dengue has begun
EnvironmentApril 1, 2014
Democrats and Republicans Agree on Climate Change
U.S. public opinion varies over a surprisingly narrow range
March 27, 2014
Big Climate Danger Could Arrive as Soon as 2036
Climate change is changing. In three days we will find out how much, and how rapidly. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is meeting in Yokohama, Japan, will release the second report of its massive assessment on Sunday, March 30 EDT (March 31 in Japan).
March 25, 2014
Nor'easter Bomb Hits East Coast Thanks to a Rex Block. Huh?
Okay, it's not the infamous polar vortex, but people living on the New England coast are about to get popped by a "Nor'easter bomb." And it was set up five days ago by a "Rex block." I'm not making that up.
March 21, 2014
Will Ferrell and Robert Redford Argue over the Colorado River
Well, okay, it's a fake argument. But the issue the two famous actors are bantering about is very real: restoring the Colorado River. Rather than preach, Robert Redford and Will Ferrell have made five humorous public service videos to get people's attention.
March 18, 2014
Global Warming: Democrats and Republicans Agree
Wait, what? Contrary to the polarized positions that politicians and commentators often take in the media, Americans do not disagree about global warming or what to do about it.
March 12, 2014
The Web Turns 25…Sort Of
In March 1989, Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee proposed a way to link together documents on different computers that were connected to the Internet.
EnvironmentFebruary 26, 2014
Offshore Wind Farms Could Knock Down Hurricanes
A forest of 78,000 turbines would have drastically reduced the winds and storm surges from hurricanes Katrina and Sandy
PolicyFebruary 1, 2014
Scientific American Covers Reveal a Shift from Practical to Provocative
HealthJanuary 29, 2014
Fact or Fiction?: Wind Chill Is Real
The winter breeze certainly feels cold, but your skin may not be as frigid as you think
Public HealthJanuary 3, 2014
Fact or Fiction: Should You Feed a Cold and Starve a Fever?
Here’s what science says about the best way to nourish your body when you're sick.
December 26, 2013
Climate Scientists Pose for Pinup Calendar [Slide Show]
Columbia University showcases "the planet's hottest climate science, and the people behind it"
December 13, 2013
A Better Answer to Climate Change Is Hidden in the Clouds
Climate scientists are studying a bewildering array of changes taking place in the air, on land and in the sea. But where should they concentrate their efforts?
December 11, 2013
Tornadoes May Be Getting Stronger. Or Not
Sometimes scientists cant help themselves from showing dramatic curves, even though they have so many caveats that no firm conclusions can be made from the data.