Five “possible” dates on NASA’s radar, and the most important thing is what they do NOT mean: why the list is not a countdown to the end of the world
People love to joke about “the next doomsday date,” especially when a space rock shows up in the news. But the real story is…..
Stimulus checks in February 2026 are still a rumor, and here’s what the IRS actually says
Social media posts and chain emails are once again claiming “new stimulus checks” are landing in February 2026, often by “IRS direct deposit.” It…..
Methane is out of control… but this strategy involving temporary CO2 capture could slow down its climate impact
A Pole reveals what Greenland has to offer. “Our legs literally buckled with excitement”
Thousands of families in poor countries cook with plastic… and almost no one talks about the risks this poses
Science
Five “possible” dates on NASA’s radar, and the most important thing is what they do NOT mean: why the list is not a countdown to the end of the world
People love to joke about “the next doomsday date,” especially when a space rock shows…..
ALMA detects “cotton” clouds in the Small Magellanic Cloud and provides unexpected clues about how the first stars in the universe were born
When we picture where stars are born, many of us imagine long, dark threads of…..
It’s official: NASA put forward a “far-fetched” hypothesis in 2004 about an icy moon, and confirmation has finally arrived that fits all the pieces together
Two decades ago, scientists at NASA looked at the small, icy moon Enceladus and made…..
The Earth is tearing apart beneath the Pacific Northwest, and scientists have just caught it in the midst of a geological collapse
Off the coast of Vancouver Island, deep under the waves and far below the seafloor,…..
At 3:41 a.m. on January 15, 2026, the Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, ending a mission that concluded ahead of schedule
The four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew 11 mission are back on Earth after a…..
Plastic fragments found embedded in human brains… and there are quite a few: scientists discover levels 30 times higher than those found in the liver
Tiny fragments of plastic are no longer just in the ocean, the soil, or the…..
A metal detectorist heard a beep in a plowed field and walked up a hillside in ancient Norway and found seven gold medallions buried and abandoned in the 6th century
About 1,500 years ago, someone in what is now southeastern Norway walked up to a…..
Language is not only human: Bonobos surprise us by combining sounds into meaningful phrases
Most of us spend the day tossing out words without thinking about how they fit…..
Earth has an “inner core” that deforms in real time, and seismic waves have given it away
Far beneath our feet, in a place hotter than any furnace and under pressures that…..
A lake in Guatemala preserved 3,300 years of “evidence,” and now its sediments show that drought alone does not explain the Maya collapse
For decades, the story has sounded straightforward. The ancient Maya built powerful cities for more…..
Mobility
The TSA has just introduced a surprise fee that no one expected: this is what you will have to pay if you do not have a Real ID or passport
Starting February 1, 2026, air travelers in the United States who show up at security without a…..
Say goodbye to security checks: the TSA simplifies airport security and your face becomes your pass to go through security checks at 50 terminals across the United States
Have you ever reached the front of an airport security line only to realize your ID is…..
Thousands of illegally issued truck licenses in North Carolina could cost the state $50 million
A DMV error forces thousands of Californians to renew their identification just before important trips
Energy
China sold 11 million electric vehicles in one year, leaving less room for the oil it used to buy from Venezuela
Economy
Stimulus checks in February 2026 are still a rumor, and here’s what the IRS actually says
Social media posts and chain emails are once again claiming “new stimulus checks” are landing…..
A recently-passed law in Virginia could bankrupt small artisanal wineries that have been growing grapes and making unique wines in mountainous terrain for decades
A law meant to keep Virginia wine truly Virginian is now sending ripples through the…..
The IRS begins imposing penalties: millions of people face fines of up to $680 for ignoring the IRS deadline
The end of January information return deadline has now passed, and the clock is already…..
What started as a favor between neighbors ended with a tax bill and an unexpected fiscal nightmare
The letter looked ordinary. A white envelope, the tax office logo, a few formal lines……
If you received text messages after saying “stop,” you can claim up to $75 per message before February 12
Americans whose phones kept buzzing with Kaiser marketing texts even after replying “stop” now have…..
This popular supermarket is running out of fresh food: the small store that saved the neighborhood is now struggling to survive, while large chains throw away tons of food
In the Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale, the shelves of its only full-service grocery store have…..
The IRS launches a historic change affecting 164 million people
Millions of Americans who count on their tax refund every spring are being urged to…..
Chicago imposes the highest tourist tax in US history (and it won’t be the only one): how it will affect your next booking in 2026
Check out of a hotel in some popular American destinations in 2026 and you may…..
Change the way you pay for your travel: the TSA will be implementing security fees starting February 1, and many passengers will be surprised by the impact this will have on their tickets and their time
Beginning February 1, 2026, travelers who reach airport security without a REAL ID compliant license,…..
Elon Musk’s plan to redesign the world’s factories… and perhaps the planet too: humanoid robots that work 12 hours a day, never rest, and use artificial intelligence
Tesla has quietly crossed a line that could reshape factory work worldwide. On January 21,…..
Technology
Environment
China has built more than 1,000 waste incineration plants and now lacks enough waste to feed them, so in 2026 it will begin excavating landfills as if they were fuel mines
In China, many of the trash burning power plants that once seemed like an easy…..
Methane is out of control… but this strategy involving temporary CO2 capture could slow down its climate impact
Imagine trying to fix two very different leaks in the same house. One drip never…..
Thousands of families in poor countries cook with plastic… and almost no one talks about the risks this poses
Most of us only smell burning plastic when a trash bag hits a hot stove…..
A small, elusive animal that disappeared in 1800 was captured by surprise in Ohio, and no one had seen it in over 100 years, but a simple camera in the woods has just changed everything
A grainy black and white clip from a forest in Cleveland might not look like…..
Australia has a river older than the dinosaurs: the Finke (Larapinta) has been flowing for between 300 and 400 million years and cuts through the MacDonnell Ranges as if the terrain did not exist
If someone asked you to point to ancient Earth, you might think of dinosaur fossils…..
Less sulfur, more heat: the reduction in maritime emissions caused global warming to exceed expectations
Britain has been told to prepare for at least two degrees Celsius of global warming…..
Meteorologists warn that an anomaly in the polar vortex is approaching, and that its speed and shape do not match what textbooks taught decades ago
The warning did not arrive with blizzards or broken power lines. It first appeared as…..
Shanghai should have sunk years ago… but something invisible keeps it afloat: the secret lies 1,000 meters beneath your feet and has to do with oil wells and recycled water
From California’s coast to the banks of the Yangtze, engineers are trying something that sounds…..
