Archive

Category: Science

Is This the “Anthropocene” Epoch? Nope, Geologists Say.

The Wall, a geologic feature of eroded Talampaya Formation sandstone in Talampaya National Park, Argentina.Jon G. Fuller This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The guardians of the world’s official geological timescale have firmly rejected a proposal to declare an Anthropocene epoch, after an epic academic row. The…

Let’s Not Take Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pills for Granted

Bettmann/Getty Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.Last July, in a win for reproductive justice advocates, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill. This week, the progestin-only pill, Opill, shipped to retailers like CVS and Walgreens. It’s expected to be…

Are Ocean Plastics Cleanup Efforts Helping—or Hurting?

Workers for environmental nonprofit, The Ocean Cleanup. Cover Images/ZUMA This story was originally published by Slate and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Rebecca Helm despises the phrase “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” This moniker is used to describe the vast stretch of ocean from the West Coast of North America to Japan that is…