What I played on my summer vacation
Don't let Baldur's Gate obscure these inventive, smaller recent releases. Enlarge (credit: Sad Owl Studios) Careful Ars readers may have noticed that my byline was absent from the site for a large portion of July and Aug.....»»
How humans are affecting the Northern Hemisphere"s wind patterns
The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record and, unfortunately, this came as no surprise. Summers have been getting hotter and drier around the world, including in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to intense droughts and heat waves in North America.....»»
What the jet stream and climate change had to do with the hottest summer on record
Summer 2024 was officially the Northern Hemisphere's hottest on record. In the United States, fierce heat waves seemed to hit somewhere almost every day......»»
Summer 2024 Was the Hottest Ever Measured, Beating Last Year
The year 2024 could easily shape up to be the hottest ever measured, climate scientists say.....»»
In French Polynesia, boom in whale-based tourism sparks concern
A giant whale stole the show at the Summer Olympic Games, shooting out of the water as athletes competed in women's surfing semi-finals on the French Pacific island of Tahiti last month......»»
New study links US decline in volunteering to economic conditions
Volunteering used to be a mainstay of U.S. culture. But in recent years, giving back to their community hasn't played as big a role in many Americans' lives......»»
Portugal battles ferocious wildfires as toll rises to seven
Thousands of firefighters on Tuesday battled wildfires in Portugal that have killed seven people and burnt more land in a matter of days than the rest of the summer combined......»»
UFO 50 is the best retro-gaming homage I’ve ever played
Collection of 50 new '80s-era game concepts brims with originality, care, and joy. Enlarge / Just some of the inventive character designs included in UFO 50. (credit: Mossmouth) If you've spent any time with retro gaming.....»»
Unknown 9: Awakening is already a thrilling superhero spectacle
We played an hour of Unknown 9: Awakening, Bandai Namco's latest, and we're already digging its superhero action......»»
Get set for more extreme weather across Australia this spring and summer, say meteorologists
Australia is no stranger to extreme weather. From heat waves and droughts to flooding rains, hailstorms or fire weather, our continent experiences it all......»»
Apple Watch SE might go plastic next year, but is that worth the tradeoff?
Earlier this summer, reports started to emerge that Apple is testing a new “rigid plastic” body for the next generation . It was initially expected at last week’s Apple event, but unexpectedly got delayed. While a plastic casing would undoubted.....»»
Summer 2024 breaks record as hottest worldwide, new climate report shows
This summer was the hottest on record worldwide, outpacing even last year's blistering temperatures, according to a new report by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service......»»
The promise of summer wheat in Zimbabwe
Africa currently imports around 40 million tons of wheat annually at a staggering cost of $15 billion. Most African countries rely heavily on wheat imports, with some importing up to 100% of their supply. However, countries like Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.....»»
The roles played by Indigenous Peoples in biodiversity conservation
Indigenous Peoples play an indisputable and critical role in the conservation of the planet's biodiversity. Their lands and livelihoods sustain life in myriad forms. However, a study by researchers at the ICTA-UAB published in Nature concludes that t.....»»
Lakes drying up leave Greeks in despair
Lake Koronia, one of largest in Greece, is shrinking after a prolonged drought and a summer of record-breaking temperatures, leaving behind cracked earth, dead fish and a persistent stench......»»
Say "neigh" to west Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis
As summer turns to fall, most of the U.S. officially enters peak mosquito season. And with peak mosquito season comes a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses, including West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)......»»
Report recommends "highly ambitious enterprise" to create UK microbiome biobank
CABI has played a leading role in the creation of a new report, facilitated by the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), which is calling for a "highly ambitious enterprise" to create a microbiome biobank that will contribute significantly to t.....»»
NASA finds summer 2024 hottest to date
August 2024 set a new monthly temperature record, capping Earth's hottest summer since global records began in 1880, according to scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. The announcement comes as a new analysis up.....»»
The US has sweltered through its fourth-hottest summer on record
A very warm August wrapped up an extremely hot summer across the U.S., with many cities breaking all-time heat records......»»
Summer storms found to be stronger and more frequent over urban areas
Summer storms are generally more frequent, intense and concentrated over cities than over rural areas, according to new, detailed observations of eight cities and their surroundings. The results could change how city planners prepare for floods in th.....»»
The amazing flowers growing in pavement cracks and why you shouldn"t pass them by
In spring and summer flowers pop up spontaneously in lawns, playgrounds, fields and even cracks in the pavement. But what do you see: weeds or wildflowers?.....»»