Society & Policy

Each plant takes five gallons of water a day from legal and illegal water diversions

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Wednesday signed a bill into law that bans the manufacturing and sale of personal care products containing tiny plastic beads that are known to pollute waterways

The U.S. flood insurance program has inaccurate elevation data about many high-risk homes that enjoy discounted premiums

We currently have a maximum of about 60 minutes to prepare for tech disruptions on Earth due to coronal mass ejections from the sun, but an improved forecasting system could lengthen that lead time by hours. Maria Temming reports

If violent criminal tendencies peak during the teen years and seldom extend to midlife, should we still lock people up and throw away the key?

California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Tuesday to make it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children for communicable diseases

People who smoke pot and drink are twice as likely to do both at the same time than to do just one, with the combo associated with bad decision-making; and chronic pot smokers who had not indulged in a month were still more likely to have faulty memories than were nonsmokers. Erika Beras reports

Announcements from China, Korea, Brazil and U.S. boost hopes for a global climate deal

Connect With STEM initiative aims to increase both the visibility of a variety of science careers and the diverse types of people doing those jobs

New genetic sequencing data point to a longstanding conflict between the chromosomes that determine sex

Nuclear’s share of electricty will drop from 75 percent to 50 percent by 2025 due to loss of know-how and requirements for more renewable sources

Scientific divers aren’t looking to simply fill their collecting bags—they’re seeking scientific value, data that furthers their understanding of a place or process.