We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in science and tech.
Science & Nature
Posted inArts & Culture, Books, Essays & Criticism, Science & Nature, Story
At the Very Least We Know the End of the World Will Have a Bright Side
Solarpunk, a new genre of science fiction, demands radical optimism of its writers and readers. It takes the apocalypse as given, but doesn’t assume the worst of people living through it.
Posted inNonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes, Science & Nature
Sea Lion Herschel: Steelhead Salmon Scapegoat
They tried every deterrent, including forced relocation, but Herschel the sea lion and his posse returned year after year to enjoy the free steelhead salmon buffet in Puget Sound.
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Story
Duet for a Small Porpoise’s Extinction
Kimi Eisele contemplates coherence, the near extinction of the vaquita, and the expensive bycatch of being human.
Posted inEditor's Pick, Essays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Science & Nature
Duet for a Small Porpoise’s Extinction
Kimi Eisele contemplates coherence, the near extinction of the vaquita, and the expensive bycatch of being human.
Posted inArts & Culture, History, Science & Nature, Story
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Angora
Angora rabbit fur is fluffy, and silky, and was especially popular with two influential 20th-century groups: Hollywood starlets and Nazi officers. Â
Posted inNonfiction
The Case for Letting Malibu Burn
Many of California’s native ecosystems evolved to burn. Modern fire suppression creates fuels that lead to catastrophic fires. So why do people insist on rebuilding in the firebelt?
Posted inCurrent Events, Nonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes, Science & Nature
Preserving Human Life Requires Preserving Insect Life
While science labors to comprehend the variety and volume of insects on earth, both are declining with disturbing speed, and the ecological consequences are troubling.
Posted inNonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes, Science & Nature
Karst: the Latest Casualty of Clear-Cut Logging
“On Vancouver Island, karst researchers hustle to save one of Earth’s most underappreciated—and fragile—ecosystems: an ecosystem hidden in plain sight.”
Posted inNonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes, Science & Nature
When Your Child’s Life Depends on it
Amber Olsen needs to raise one million additional dollars to fund life-saving research for her daughter, Willow.