Apr 30, 2010 3:41 PM

Tracked From Space: Gulf Oil Slick Approaches Land

The oil slick that resulted from the rig explosion on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico is heading toward the Mississippi Delta and nearby coastline. Some experts are predicting the impact of the oil reaching the marshlands in the area could be bigger than that of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince […]

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Betsy Mason is a freelance science journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area and co-founder of the Map Lab blog. She is the former science editor for WIRED.com. ... Read More

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TopicsEarth from space Earth Science

Hurricane Melissa Has Meteorologists Terrified

The storm, which is set to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday, has stunned meteorologists with its intensity and the speed at which it built.

An Invasive Disease-Carrying Mosquito Has Spread to the Rocky Mountains

The Aedes aegypti mosquito that can carry dengue, yellow fever, and Zika was thought to be too reliant on a hot and wet climate to survive in the Mountain West. But now, a population is thriving in Western Colorado.

Physicists Create a Thermometer for Measuring ‘Quantumness’

“Anomalous” heat flow, which at first appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics, gives physicists a way to detect quantum entanglement without destroying it.

Climate Change Made Hurricane Melissa 4 Times More Likely, Study Suggests

Unusually warm ocean temperatures fueled one of the worst hurricanes on record. New research finds climate change increased the storm’s likelihood.

Resistant Bacteria Are Advancing Faster Than Antibiotics

One in six laboratory-confirmed bacteria in 2023 proved resistant to antibiotic treatment, according to the World Health Organization—all related to a variety of common diseases globally.

The EPA Is in Chaos

“We learn who is furloughed when we send an email to someone and get the out-of-office message,” one employee tells WIRED.

No, ICE (Probably) Didn’t Buy Guided Missile Warheads

A federal contracting database lists an ICE payment for $61,218 with the payment code for “guided missile warheads and explosive components.” But it appears ICE simply entered the wrong code.

How Genes Have Harnessed Physics to Grow Living Things

The same pulling force that causes “tears” in a glass of wine also shapes embryos. It’s another example of how genes exploit mechanical forces for growth and development.

A Gene-Editing Therapy Cut Cholesterol Levels by Half

An experimental gene-editing therapy developed by Crispr Therapeutics is showing promise for treating heart disease.

Man Has Pig Kidney Removed After Living With It for a Record 9 Months

With the demand for human donor organs desperately outstripping supply, scientists are working to see if genetically edited pig organs can bridge the gap.

How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas

The interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reached its closest point to the sun. Here's how to follow the rest of its journey away from our solar system.

In Orbit You Have to Slow Down to Speed Up

Driving a spacecraft around a planet isn’t anything like driving on a planet. A physicist explains orbital navigation.