Large-scale agriculture, factories and other sources produce chemical runoffs. These “nutrient loads”can accumulate in waters and cause harmful algae blooms (HABs), including the red tides that are increasingly common. Algal blooms are now occurring in every coastal state in the U.S., and are a major concern around the world. HABs affect the health of marine organisms and also people. Dr. Glibert explains the vital role of algae in marine ecosystems, how runoff toxins cause the unnatural algal blooms, and what must be done to stop the damage. She also discusses how ocean geoengineering can impact algae.

Up to 80% of kids have sleep problems, and many parents are turning to over-the-counter sleep aids, which aren't FDA-approved.

Ian Goodine, one of the creators of AuditPRO, called the AI machine a "fancy photo booth for trash."

The major ocean currents strongly influence regional climate stability. Today’s rapidly warming oceans will ultimately alter major currents such as the AMOC, with huge consequences for global climate. In order to predict when and where these climate shifts will occur, oceanographers gather data over a long period of time and compare that data with historical variations in ocean temperature and currents. Hali Kilbourne’s focus on 2000 years of the relationship between oceans and climate provides important data for accurate climate models.
In this discussion Dr. Kilbourne describes how scientists collect and analyze the data, and what oceanographers can predict regarding sea level changes, stability of major currents and the coming impact on global climate.

Hali Kilbourne’s research focus is the relationship between the oceans and climate over the last 2000 years. This long-range analysis provides context for modern changes and will improve our understanding of processes driving climate variability.

Last month, cellular and molecular biologist Dr. Jason Buenrostro was named as one of the MacArthur "genius" grant fellows for 2023. He's one of four local awardees, part of Under the Radar's series, "The Genius Next Door."

The air contains an enormous amount of electricity. Clouds are full of it. But how to actually capture it for a continuous energy resource? Dr. Jun Yao and his colleagues at UMass-Amherst have created a small-scale cloud they call the “generic Air-gen effect” that produces a reliable stream of electricity that can be harvested for general use. In this interview, Dr. Yao describes how the Air-gen innovation was developed, how the electricity is harvested from the air via a special material made of protein nanowires, and when the device can be scaled up for general use.

An innovative project at WPI hopes to turn plastic waste in the ocean into fuel—right on board a ship.

Trichloroethylene, or TCE, is highly toxic even in small doses and have been linked to health threats, including cancer.

Our planet is subjected to more than 50 earthquakes a day. Fortunately, most do not cause significant damage. But some earthquakes are extremely destructive (as recent events in Turkey and Afghanistan demonstrate) The complexity of these tectonic plates shifts make prediction very challenging but fascinating work. Dr. Meade explains the importance of better prediction of earthquakes and the huge challenge of developing better prediction tools.