Science

Life on Mars and Other Space Oddities

When an ecologist and a cartoonist team up to explore the realities of colonizing Mars, the result is a humorous and highly informative book on whether humans are truly up to settling space. They detour into the intimacies of zero-gravity intimacy and the challenges of ensuring a food supply. From BookShelf contributing editor Melody Kemp, a review of “A City on Mars.”

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Mapping Out Local PFAS Risk, As Federal Rules Waver

As the Trump administration rolls back Biden-era rules limiting the presence of “forever chemicals” in drinking water, an updated data mapping tool helps pinpoint local angles on the PFAS story. The latest TipSheet outlines the basics on this class of widely used chemicals, their risks to humans and the challenges of regulating them, plus provides a half-dozen story ideas and questions to ask.

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"RFK Jr.’s MAHA Report Targets Food, Drug, Tech Industries: Key Takeaways"

"The Trump administration issued its long-awaited Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report Thursday, hammering various industries while deviating from mainstream science on key issues including farming practices, vaccinations and psychiatric medications."

Source: The Hill, 05/23/2025

NOAA Predicts Another Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season, But Not As Bad As 2024

"With warmer than normal ocean waters, forecasters are expecting yet another unusually busy hurricane season for the Atlantic. But they don’t think it will be as chaotic as 2024, the third-costliest season on record as it spawned killer storms Beryl, Helene and Milton."

Source: AP, 05/23/2025

James Hansen Decries Trump Plan To Shut Nasa Lab Above Seinfeld Diner

"Perched above the New York City diner made famous by the TV show Seinfeld, Tom’s Restaurant, a small research laboratory became, improbably, crucial to humanity’s understanding of our changing climate and of the universe itself."

Source: Guardian, 05/22/2025

Chemical Exposure From Ultra-Processed Foods May Worsen Health Issues

"Toxic synthetic chemicals that migrate into ultra-processed foods from packaging, processing equipment and other sources may explain why these foods are so bad for our health, according to a new review article."

Source: The New Lede, 05/22/2025

"EPA Defunds Research Into PFAS Contamination on Farms"

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has canceled grant funding to university research teams studying how “forever chemicals” contaminate soil and groundwater, including at least $3 million for two projects specifically looking at contamination on farms."

Source: Civil Eats, 05/22/2025

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