The western United States exists in a state of willful ignorance about water. Waking up won't be easy, and it will be expensive.

The author of a legendary equation illustrating the probability of alien civilization, Drake suggests that we should listen more.

The last place you expect to meet a creationist is at the annual American Geophysical Union conference. I don't know how I got so lucky. Yesterday morning, I wandered through… Read the rest of the article: The day I met a creationist at the science conference

By adding a little sampling to their adventures out in the wild, explorers in hard-to-reach locations could lend a big hand to scientific research. An organization called Adventurers and Scientists… Read the rest of the article: Adventurers can help science by sharing their data

The Earth is full of water. Not just lakes, river, streams, and oceans on the crustal surface, or even aquifers close to the surface—the planet literally holds water inside itself.… Read the rest of the article: Scientists track water locked hundreds of miles underground

NASA scientists reported results from the Mars Curiosity roving science lab at the American Geophysical Union to a packed room of press chomping at the bit for a big story.… Read the rest of the article: Mars burps methane. Scientists want to know why.

NASA scientists, at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting, revealed images from space of humanity—and our wonderful cultural behaviors.

Right now, it's cold in the Arctic. Days are dark, and ice grows to cover the dark sea. Come summer, lengthening days and warming temperatures will reverse that process. This… Read the rest of the article: Why is Arctic ice melting so fast?

Arsenic. Hearing the word in America usually brings up black and white mental images of the film "Arsenic and Old Lace." Yet, it is not an old issue. People around… Read the rest of the article: The issue with arsenic

Dr. Kiki Sanford on how scientists are predicting outbreaks from an unusual new vantage point.

Reporting this week at the annual American Geophysical Union, scientists from UC Irvine discussed air quality results from samples taken during the 2012 and 2013 Hajj. The annual pilgrimage brings… Read the rest of the article: Air pollution: the holy Hajj's health threat

Have you ever been on a plane during a thunderstorm that experienced a direct lightning strike? While most commercial airliner will do their best to avoid thunderclouds delivering the wrath… Read the rest of the article: Black hole power in a lightning bolt

Imagine never having to take a pill again for anxiety, depression, or your heart condition. Imagine epilepsy or Parkinson's disease being managed by the patient without drug interventions. What if control of these conditions were possible with a thought? Kiki Sanford reports on the advent of mind-genetic interfaces.

This week we started the This Week in Science podcast on a low note talking about the climate, or as we like to call it on TWIS, 'Climytia.'

If you've ever watched this video, you might wonder whether an astronaut's suit is too ungainly to be graceful, or alternatively, if astronauts might just lack coordination.

Kiki Sanford on a strange scientific study comparing the effects of caffeine to zapping your brain tissue with electricity.