Natural and human-induced hazards - Human

  • Tundra fire: Bad news on warming
    Tundra fire: Bad news on warming

    The globe warms, and the Arctic starts to burn. If warming causes fires that release carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, will this accelerate further warming? A new study measures carbon releases from the largest tundra fire in North America.


    Thursday, July 28th, 2011
  • Nothing light about lightning
    Nothing light about lightning

    New instruments are giving a better view of how those astonishingly strong lightning bolts form inside clouds – and we are also getting a better picture of the many ways that lightning can harm us.


    Thursday, July 21st, 2011
  • The secret life of cats
    The secret life of cats

    Humans and cats have enjoyed each other’s company for millennia, but scientists have discovered some troubling secrets of free-roaming felines that have wildlife and health experts worried. A new study reveals what free-roaming cats do all day, and The Why Files investigates some implications of their outdoor habits.


    Thursday, June 9th, 2011
  • Nuclear nightmare in Japan
    Nuclear nightmare in Japan

    With three nuclear reactors and three pools of spent fuel teetering on the edge of meltdown, Japanese technicians struggled to throttle the nuclear demons after the gigantic tsunami. Is Fukushima closer to Chernobyl or Three Mile Island? How will the disaster affect plans for a renaissance of nuclear power?


    Thursday, March 24th, 2011
  • A climate of extremes?
    A climate of extremes?

    Are extreme heat, wicked cyclones and record rainfalls signs of climate change, or just more changes in the weather? Will warming eliminate record cold days? Will hurricanes get bigger?


    Thursday, January 13th, 2011
  • The morning after
    The morning after

    It’s as sure as sunrise. Drink too much, and you’ll pay next morning: lassitude, nausea, headache, dizziness, and more specialized agonies will be cause for regret. Hangovers: If you can’t avoid them, will they cause you to drink less? Do fruitflies get hung over?


    Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
  • Treatment defeats phony hormones!
    Treatment defeats phony hormones!

    When chemicals in the water trigger the endocrine system, male fish can start looking and acting female. What happens once chemicals from plastics, drugs and our own endocrine system are flushed down the toilet? Can we prevent them from entering our streams and harming wildlife?


    Thursday, June 24th, 2010
  • Historic photo of a group of men crouched in front of hanging wolf pelts.
    Gray wolf: How many is enough?

    The gray wolf has made a dramatic recovery in the northern Rockies and upper Midwest. Is the wolf still endangered, or has it recovered? Should we start hunting and killing the dog wild relatives?


    Thursday, June 17th, 2010
  • A large structure on water on fire, large black cloud, large surrounding ships spraying water
    Gulf oil spill: It’s a gusher – one mile deep!

    What kind of ecological damage can we expect from a sustained blowout in the Gulf of Mexico? What are the lessons of Exxon Valdez, and how well do they apply to the current outbreak of oil? Is prevention really the only strategy?


    Thursday, May 20th, 2010
  • Studying survival on a sinking ship
    Studying survival on a sinking ship

    The Titanic sank in 1912, the Lusitania sank in 1915. In each case, about 32 percent of passengers survived. But women and children did much better on Titanic, which took 160 minutes to slide underwater, than on Lusitania, which went down in 18 minutes. Ditto for rich people. Why?


    Thursday, March 4th, 2010


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