Popular Science •

What’s the safest swimsuit color? Skip blue and black.

A pleasant swim at the beach or pool can quickly turn deadly. Every year, over 4,000 people die from unintentional drowning across the United States.  Swim safety experts say drowning is highly preventable. They recommend learning basic swimming skills, designating “water watchers” to keep an eye on children in the water, and avoiding swimming alone or under the influence. But what if your outfit could stop you from drowning?
Popular Science •

New stamp honors Yellowstone’s iconic bison

It’s a warm July day in Yellowstone National Park’s grassy Hayden Valley and wildlife photographer Tom Murphy is tracking herds of chocolate-colored bison gathered for the annual breeding season. He eventually spots a young male, not yet old enough to compete in the often-violent bison rut. Amid the racket of bison roars, Murphy snaps a photograph of the lone bull, peeking up over a hill at the clamor of male bison seeking their mates.
Popular Science •

Alpine glacier holds history dating back to the Romans. And it’s melting—fast.

Deep inside the frozen Eastern Alps, the Weißseespitze ice cap (pronounced VICE-zay-shpitt-suh) sits at almost 11,482 feet (3,500 meters) above sea level. Overlooking the mountainous border between Austria and Italy, Weißseespitze is an alpine glacier. It formed as layers of snowfall gradually compacted into dense glacial ice, trapping airborne particles that hold important clues about Earth’s past atmosphere.
Popular Science •

Yellowstone's ravens may memorize wolf hunting hotspots—to feast

When wolves are on the hunt, a kill rarely goes unnoticed for long. In the elk- and deer-rich areas of northern Yellowstone National Park, ravens are often among the first scavengers to arrive on the scene, swooping down to feast on scraps left behind by the howling canines.  Field biologists have long assumed that the birds simply follow wolves as they track and take down their prey. However, a study published today in the journal Science provides evidence that ravens may be remembering hunting hotspots and scavenging for food, rather than chasing wolves.
Popular Science •

Human head transplants' gory, Frankenstein-esque history

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a mad scientist creates a monstrous creature with severed body parts. In certain film adaptations, a dismembered head is tacked onto the malformed body. Then, with the help of a lightning storm, a new life is born. From the first successful kidney transplant in 1954, modern organ transplantation has often been linked to the horrors of Frankenstein. While people have grown to accept kidney and liver transplants as life-saving surgeries, the notion of a head transplant still invokes Frankenstein-like revulsion in the medical community and beyond.
NBC News •

A flood of floods: Appalachians in Kentucky struggle to recover from a barrage of disasters

Record-breaking flash flooding inundated Hazard, Kentucky, in February, devastating homes and infrastructure in the small Appalachian town. The North Fork Kentucky River, which runs alongside Hazard’s Main Street, crested at over 30 feet and swamped the small downtown area, destroying several local businesses. February’s disaster was the second major flash flood to hit Hazard in three years.
NBC News •

Amid federal research cuts, some Antarctic tourist cruises are sponsoring scientists

During Antarctica’s warm season, the sleek Norwegian passenger ship known as the MS Fridtjof Nansen departs regularly from Argentina for its journey south across the turbulent Drake Passage, down to the Antarctic Peninsula. The cruise carries wealthy adventurers, bucket listers and, increasingly, polar scientists looking to gather data as public funding for Antarctic research vanishes under the Trump administration.
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