Stories by Mark Fischetti

U.S. Coal Production Hits 30-Year Low

After a high in 2008 output, exports have plummeted

Ask the Experts: Is El Niño to Blame for So Much Weird Weather?

Winter heat, pounding rains, tornadoes—a climatologist explains which extremes can be attributed to El Niño and which cannot

Men and Women Alter a Home's Bacteria Differently

An analysis of dust reveals how the presence of men, women, dogs and cats affects the variety of bacteria in a household

139 Countries Could Get All of their Power from Renewable Sources

Energy from wind, water and sun would eliminate nuclear and fossil fuels

Meet PlankZooka, the Deep-Sea Plankton Vacuum

The new sampler sucks up the tiny creatures without tearing them apart

Invasive Plants Are Moving from the Northern Hemisphere South

Intrusive plants tend to originate in the Northern Hemisphere

Hurricane Patricia Rapidly Becomes Strongest Storm Ever in Western Hemisphere

Top wind speed is much greater than Hurricanes Katrina or Sandy

The East Coast Is Extremely Vulnerable to Hurricane Flooding

Our map shows low-lying at-risk cities and coastlines everywhere, many of them sinking

China and the U.S. Are Not the Biggest Carbon Emitters on a Per-Person Basis

Per capita, the world's greatest carbon emitters are small countries

CO2 Emissions Shrink, in a Few Cases

A handful of countries are actually lowering their emissions per person

Pope Says Science Can Solve "Serious Problems Besetting Mankind"

Calls on world leaders to respect the "right of the environment"

Einstein in the Wild: We Found Him [Slide Show]

Readers across the globe sent us photos of the rock star scientist

Is New Orleans Safer Today Than When Katrina Hit 10 Years Ago?

People inside the city walls are more protected against flooding, for now, but residents outside the city are not

QUIZ: How Well Do You Know Einstein?

Mississippi River Mouth Must Be Abandoned to Save New Orleans from Next Hurricane Katrina

Three nationwide design teams reveal realistic plans to massively rebuild the disintegrating delta

Einstein in the Wild: Have You Seen Him?

Send us photos in honor of the 100th anniversary of general relativity

Graphic Science: A World of Food, Delivered to America's Doorstep

U.S. imports of fruits and vegetables are on the rise—especially avocados from Mexico

Little Creatures of the Deep [Slide Show]

A new robot successfully traps the larvae of exotic species living in the extremely deep ocean

Safeguarding the Food Supply

To defend against a growing risk of food tainted by contaminants, man-made or natural, we need new technologies and better oversight

Search Engine Plants Trees as It Finds Your Info