Kiss Your Government Grant Goodbye, Sexual Harassers
SrdicPhoto/Getty Images Looking for news you can trust?Subscribe to our free newsletters. For years, government-funded scientists have risked losing millions in federal research money if they’re accused of plagiarism or fabricating data. But those found responsible for sexual misconduct have not faced the same consequences—yet. On Thursday, National Science Foundation Director France Córdova announced a new policy to finally hold sexual harassers…
This New Company Wants You To Trade Your DNA Sequence for Cryptocurrency
Getty Images Looking for news you can trust?Subscribe to our free newsletters. After about a year of development, a new biotech company, the brainchild of Harvard genomics pioneer George Church, emerged from the darkness this week, STAT News reported. It’s called Nebula Genomics, and it lets you buy and sell your genomic data using cryptocurrency. The core…
New Research Shows Suicides Spiked Following Robin Williams’ Death
Armando Gallo/Zuma Looking for news you can trust?Subscribe to our free newsletters. In August 2014, actor and comedian Robin Williams, famous for his roles in movies like Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, and Mrs. Doubtfire, committed suicide at his home just north of San Francisco. He was 63 years old and, as the public…
These Animals Are Tougher Than We Thought
Olin Feuerbacher/NPS Looking for news you can trust?Subscribe to our free newsletters. This story was originally published by High Country News and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The West is a challenging place to live these days, with fires and mudslides, droughts and heat waves—to say nothing of the political climate. But the West’s residents…
Researchers Just Found a Hidden Cause of California’s Smog Problem
LPETTET/Getty Looking for news you can trust?Subscribe to our free newsletters. Despite its progressive environmental policies, the state of California actually has the worst air quality in the nation, according to a 2017 report from the American Lung Association. More specifically, California’s Central Valley, which produces one third of the country’s vegetables and two thirds…
One of the Largest Cities in California Has a Plan to Drastically Lower Its Temperature
Located in a semi-arid region with limited natural freshwater supplies, Long Beach relies on external water reserves and, despite record-breaking rainfalls in January 2017, water use prohibitions are still in effect. In an average year, the Long Beach Water Department (LBWD) obtains 40 percent of its water from imported sources and 53 percent from groundwater—which…