Much of Earth's population today depends on rice for food. In the fight against world hunger, David Salt of Purdue University in Indiana is looking for the genes that regulate micronutrients and trying to create a nutrient-packed rice plant. Read more on how we can make rice healthier.
Jan van der Eijk is Chief Technology Officer for Shell. In this 12-minute Clear Voices for Science podcast, he discusses what he calls the "three hard truths" of meeting the world's energy needs.
It sometimes feels as if we humans are in a race. The race is between our own burgeoning population numbers, and our political and technological will to solve the problems that come with increasing population.
An astronomer has found four stars in a tight orbit that might help unlock secrets of how stars evolve. The system is BD -22°5866, and astronomers thought it was one star.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.