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Weather

Each time you use your phone's weather app, you're indebted to a self-taught computer scientist named Klara von Neumann.

The Unheralded Contributions of Klara Dan von Neumann

Despite having no formal mathematical training, she was a key figure in creating the computer that would later launch modern weather prediction

Once rare floods could afflict cities like San Diego more often in the future, a new study finds.

New Research

Catastrophic Coastal Floods Could Become Much More Likely

A new study predicts a median 40-fold increase in flood frequency by 2050

Where to Go if You Want to See Manhattanhenge in 2017

It’s the most anticipated sunset of the year

The VLF bubble around Earth

New Research

A Human-Made “Bubble” of Radio Waves Could Be Shielding Earth From Radiation

Very Low Frequency radio waves have created a protective bubble around the planet

Aspens are one of the American tree species moving northwest.

New Research

American Trees are Shifting West

For 86 common species, northwest seems to be best. But why?

World War I: 100 Years Later

How World War I Changed Weather Forecasting for Good

Prior to the Great War, weather forecasters had never considered using mathematical modeling

A woman wears a mask to protect against air pollution in Anyang. New research shows that Northeastern China could get more polluted when there is lest dust in the air.

New Research

Dust May Help, Not Harm, Air Pollution in China

When it comes to some of Earth’s smoggiest cities, less dust isn’t necessarily better

The beach is back.

Trending Today

A Beach Disappeared in Ireland 33 Years Ago—Now It’s Back

Dooagh Beach is sandy once more

Munch's artistic freakout may have been inspired by mother-of-pearl clouds.

Art Meets Science

“The Scream” Might Have Been Inspired By a Rare Type of Cloud

Did mother-of-pearl clouds stoke a painter’s angst?

Don't grab the galoshes just yet—experts are still not certain if El Niño will develop this year.

Trending Today

The Chance of Another El Niño Is Rising

As the year presses on, the likelihood of another wacky winter has grown

This snapshot shows Jupiter's swirling, banded atmosphere and signature vortices.

New Research

“Great Cold Spot” Discovered on Jupiter

The ancient storm was hiding in plain sight

The Sayler Park tornado which struck the Cincinnati area as part of the "Super Outbreak" was a category F5 storm on the Fujita scale, the highest possible rating on the scale.

How 148 Tornadoes in One Day in 1974 Changed Emergency Preparedness

The “super outbreak” flattened towns and killed and injured thousands, all with little warning and in the space of 24 hours

The harbor in Whittier, a bustling tourist town in the summer.

In This Alaskan Town, Every Resident Lives in the Same Building

Winter in Whittier means one thing: a self-contained city in Begich Towers

View out of the window during the inaugural Flight to the Lights

Cool Finds

New Charter Flight Takes Passengers to See the Southern Lights

The first “Flight to the Lights” took 130 skygazers to get up close with the Aurora Australis

Asperitas clouds

Cool Finds

Cloud Atlas Adds First New “Species” in Almost 70 Years

The update includes 12 new cloud-related features, including volatus clouds, contrails, and wave-like asperitas discovered by citizen scientists

Trending Today

Wildfires Have Already Charred Over 2 Million Acres This Year

The fire season has gotten off to its fastest start in over a decade, with massive grass fires charring the southwest and plains states

The latest iteration of the four-legged LEMUR exploration robot clings to a test rock surface in Aaron Parness’ lab in a recent test of its microspine capabilities.

Think Big

A New Generation of Interplanetary Rovers Is Crawling Toward the Stars

These four-legged, wheel-less robots will explore asteroids and the frigid outer worlds of our Solar System

New Research

Check Out the Most Detailed Tornado Simulation So Far

A supercomputer created a simulation of the F5 “El Reno” tornado which devastated part of Oklahoma in 2011

This image, taken from space last summer, shows a long swath of dead mangroves on Australia's northern coast.

New Research

What Killed Northern Australia’s Mangroves?

Last year’s massive die-off was the largest ever observed

Westgate Park's salt lake has once again turned cotton-candy pink.

Cool Finds

Why Did This Australian Lake Turn Bright Pink?

Hot weather, scant rainfall and high salt levels have created a perfect storm for pinkness

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