Latest Articles
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Ask Umbra: Help! I’m in a tight(s) spot
A reader wonders about eco-friendly leggings. Umbra unrolls some no-nonsense advice.
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Older boomers help shift driving trends into reverse
Because driving rates peak in midlife, the aging of the baby boom generation will lead to a drop in per-capita driving.
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Swimming in it: An idyllic New England creek becomes a raging menace
When Hurricane Irene blew through New York state last year, a neighboring creek gushed into Catherine Taylor-Rosenbaum's basement. It wasn't the first flood in recent memory, and she doesn't think it will be the last. The Slow Ride crew has the story.
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Of nerds and words: Why everybody must read Joe Romm’s new book
Anyone who cares about why science doesn't get through to the public should read "Language Intelligence."
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An idea for something to do this weekend
Almost 40 percent of Americans don't walk more than 10 minutes a week. Come on, America, take a walk!
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The backwards, inside-out politics of Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, and coal
The presidential candidates are sparring over the dirtiest of fossil fuels, but the debate isn't nearly as straightforward as it seems.
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Deadly Salmonella outbreak in Kentucky linked to cantaloupe
Wash your melons, gang.
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Lower river levels threaten New Orleans water supply
But, on the plus side: a lower Missouri River also exposed a sunken boat. So, you know. Not all bad.
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Baby octopi look like cartoon characters
Did you have any idea that baby octopi (octopuses? Octopodes? I’ve actually seen a surprising amount of debate about this) were so goshdarn adorable? The top one even has little anime eyelashes!
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‘Crash test cow’ video is like a low-budget Mythbusters
Farmers are often injured or even killed when cows crash into gates, which then slam, crush, or pinch any unlucky human standing behind them. So scientists at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization developed a hinged gate which blah blah blah the point is CRASH TEST COW.
