Climate change is spurring people to rapidly accelerate their bucket lists — see the millennia-old Sequoia trees before they burn, the glaciers before they melt or the tropical reefs before they die.
Why it matters: Climate change is having a profound impact on the earth's natural wonders.
Astronomers are on the edge of their seats this week, awaiting the release of a document on Thursday that will help govern the next 10 years of their field.
Why it matters: Funding agencies like NASA rely on the document — called the decadal survey — to help them decide what missions should be supported in the future.
Pine nuts, known as piñons in New Mexico, aren't as plentifulas in previous years thanks to drought, beetle infestations and climate change in the delicate desert.
The big story: The lack of piñons in the mountains is putting at risk a Hispanic tradition of families venturing into the mountains to pick the nuts for holiday dishes, sparking fear that piñons may be in long-term danger.
The next space race will be defined by private companies teaming up to build space stations for NASA and industry.
Why it matters: Operation of the International Space Station is expected to end by 2030, if not before. The future of U.S. astronauts spending any time in orbit depends on these private stations.
Human-caused climate change is the main driver behind increased wildfire risk in the U.S. West, according to a study published Monday.
Why it matters: Researchers hadn't expected human-caused global warming to take over from natural climate variability as the main contributor to fire weather until much later this century, around 2080, per the Los Angeles Times.
Sofar Ocean Technologies, which makes instruments for ocean data collection, has raised $39 million in a Series B syndicate round with Union Square Ventures and the Foundry Group.
Why it matters: Sofar's data could improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and climate monitoring in the world's oceans, which have vast blind spots compared to Earth's land areas.
