Flip-Flop Summer Caused by Strange Jet Stream
By now, if you live in the northeastern U.S. you have heard or even said the following: "This summer has been so cool. I love it." Or: "This summer has been so cool.
Stories by Mark Fischetti
Rising Temperatures Threaten Tropical Species Most
Animals across the tropics will bear the brunt of climate change
Are the Into the Storm Tornadoes Realistic? Send Us Your Review
Four simultaneous twisters rip apart a small town in a new apocalyptic movie. Plausible or preposterous?
Biodiversity Hotspots Get Hotter (and That's Not Good)
Biodiversity hotspots are golden places on earth where the number and diversity of animals and plants is exceptional. Environmentalists say that hotspots are the most critical of all places to protect against the ill effects of human development and climate change...
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...
New Hotbeds of Innovation Rise in the U.S.
Seattle and Raleigh top the list of cities that are grabbing patents fastest
Foreign Companies Grab Increasing Share of U.S. Patents
Countries and companies scramble to gain a competitive edge
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.
Immigrants Move Up the Wealth Ladder In Steps
Immigrants go gradually up the wealth ladder
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...
The Paradox of Pollution-Producing Trees
Why some greenery can make smog worse
![Russia and Canada Heat Up Faster Than the Arctic [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/03CD44F5-1564-4D07-94EA2808468DF2E8_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Russia and Canada Heat Up Faster Than the Arctic [Slide Show]
New maps show that temperatures are rising quickest across Earth’s northern midlatitudes
Russia and Canada Heat Up Faster Than the Arctic [Slide Show]
New maps show that temperatures are rising quickest across Earth’s northern midlatitudes
Plastic Bags: More Cities Get on the Banned-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...
West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease Spread Across the U.S.
A new season of West Nile, Lyme and dengue has begun
Democrats and Republicans Agree on Climate Change
U.S. public opinion varies over a surprisingly narrow range
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)...
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...
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...
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.
