EnvironmentFebruary 6, 2009
Why does Sarah Palin support shooting wolves in Alaska?
If we really want more moose, we should be shooting bears instead, says a Vermont wildlife biologist
Stories by Brendan Borrell
Brendan Borrell is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. He writes for Bloomberg Businessweek, Nature, Outside, Scientific American, and many other publications, and is the co-author (with ecologist Manuel Molles) of the textbook Environment: Science, Issues, Solutions. He traveled to Brazil with the support of the Mongabay Special Reporting Initiative. Follow him on Twitter @bborrell.
The SciencesJanuary 30, 2009
Where does blue food dye come from?
The same colorants that are in your blue jeans may also be in your M&Ms
January 16, 2009
What is a bird strike? How can we keep planes safe from them in the future?
US Airways Flight 1549 crash-landed in the Hudson River after likely colliding with a flock of Canada geese
HealthJanuary 16, 2009
What is pneumothorax?
TV actress Mariska Hargitay this week was hospitalized for a partially collapsed lung, her second this year. What causes such a condition--and how is it treated?
HealthJanuary 13, 2009
How does salmonella get into peanut butter? And can you kill it once it's there?
The bacterium that sickened more than 400 across the U.S. and killed three is resistant to many sterilization techniques
HealthDecember 24, 2008
What Is Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disorder?
An unauthorized biographer claims that pop star Michael Jackson is suffering from this debilitating genetic disease and needs a lung transplant
HealthDecember 17, 2008
Did a Drug Company "Buy" One of This Year's Nobel Prizes?
Rumors swirl, but a Swedish prosecutor will only confirm a "preliminary investigation" into allegations that pharma giant AstraZeneca fixed the Nobels for financial gain
The SciencesDecember 13, 2008
Will a New Vatican Document Affect Science and Reproductive Health?
Mischaracterizations of science lurk in the Vatican's latest instructions on bioethics, but Catholics probably won't follow them anyway
The SciencesDecember 11, 2008
How Zoos Kill Elephants
Animal welfare experts say zoos cut short an elephant's life span, but can their evidence be trusted?
The SciencesDecember 9, 2008
How Would You Grow the World's Biggest Potato?
Reports of a record-breaking spud from Lebanon may turn out to be half-baked
EnvironmentDecember 9, 2008
Back from the Brink: Global Financial Meltdown Relieves Food Crisis
But to feed the world's growing population, long-term challenges remain
Mind & BrainDecember 4, 2008
What is truth serum?
Indian officials plan to inject captured Mumbai terrorist with the "truth serum," sodium pentothal, but history tells us that the technique isn't up to the task
EnvironmentNovember 18, 2008
(Don't) Pump up the Volume: Sound Waves Silence Whales' Song
The U.S. Supreme Court says the Navy can use active sonar in despite evidence that it and other noise pollution can deafen, and even kill denizens of the sea and skies
EnvironmentNovember 10, 2008
To Save the Southern Polar Environment--Dump the Antarctic Treaty
How letting nations establish territorial claims on Antarctica could save its threatened marine ecosystems.
The SciencesNovember 4, 2008
What is preemption, and what does it mean for drug lawsuits?
The Supreme Court considers whether patients hurt by drugs can sue drug companies that followed U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines
TechnologyAugust 18, 2008
Pedophile-Proof Chat Rooms?
Can Lancaster University's Isis Project keep children safe online without invading our privacy?
The SciencesJuly 7, 2008
Alden March Bioethics Institute Picks Up the Pieces After Glenn McGee's Ouster
Embattled bioethicist sues Albany Medical College over severance package
The SciencesJune 16, 2008
An Unethical Ethicist?
Was questionable behavior behind the abrupt departure of Alden March Bioethics Institute's chief?
TechnologyJune 9, 2008
Bird Nerds: Using the Web to Net Our Feathered Friends
How Web-based bird-watchers are helping scientists study global warming