Male fertility rates have been plummeting over the past half-century[1]. An analysis from 1992 noted a steady decrease in sperm counts and quality since the 1940s[2]. A more recent study found that male infertility rates increased nearly 80% from 1990 to 2019[3]. The reasons driving this trend remain a mystery, but frequently cited culprits...
Critical minerals don’t belong in landfills – microwave tech offers a cleaner way to reclaim them from e-waste
When the computer or phone you’re using right now blinks its last blink and you drop it off for recycling, do you know what happens?
At the recycling center, powerful magnets will pull out steel. Spinning drums will toss aluminum into bins. Copper wires will get neatly bundled up for resale. But as the conveyor belt keeps rolling, tiny...
An aerospace engineer explains the proposed US-wide missile defense system
President Donald Trump announced a plan[1] to build a missile defense system, called the Golden Dome, on May 20, 2025. The system is intended to protect the United States from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles[2], and missiles launched from space.
Trump is calling for the current budget to allocate US$25 billion to launch the...
Scientists are decoding the songbird’s complex calls
I approach a flock of mountain chickadees feasting on pine nuts. A cacophony of sounds, coming from the many different bird species that rely on the Sierra Nevada’s diverse pine cone crop, fill the crisp mountain air.
The strong “chick-a-dee” call sticks out among the bird vocalizations. The chickadees are communicating to each other...