Stories by Andrea Thompson

We’re closing out the year with a roundup of the science stories that stood out to our editors in 2024.

From a comb jelly with two butts to wing-slapping ants, this animal research made us laugh this year

Dry weather and an extreme Santa Ana wind event have contributed to the explosive growth of the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif.

From morphing beluga noggins to birds that practice singing in their sleep, science produced plenty of adorable findings this year

Drought is more synonymous with the western U.S., but the eastern part of the country can descend into such conditions surprisingly quickly

A major windstorm and an atmospheric river are set to unleash a “firehose” of precipitation from California to British Columbia

A serious bird flu infection in Canada, a troubling projection of future plastic waste and dispatches from a global climate convention.

This year won’t just be the hottest on record—it could be the first to surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Paris climate accord aims to keep warming below that level when looking over multiple years

The outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election could set the climate agenda, reshape public education and shift the dynamics of global science collaboration.

Global temperatures through September point to 2024 besting 2023 as the hottest year on record. How many future years set records depends in part on the outcome of the 2024 U.S. presidential election

Harris would continue the Biden administration’s landmark climate efforts; Trump would roll the country back to more oil and gas

Downpours from hurricanes are worsening—and leaving even “climate havens” vulnerable.

The average tropical cyclone in the U.S. ultimately causes about 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths, new research finds

Category 4 Hurricane Helene is a large storm set to bring substantial storm surge to the coast of Florida, as well as wind and rain-driven flooding up into Tennessee and South Carolina

Cases of deadly heatstroke of children in cars have remained stubbornly persistent—here’s why they happen and how we can prevent them

Tropical Storm Francine formed on Monday, ending a lull in the Atlantic hurricane season. It is expected to hit Louisiana as a hurricane

Summer has been brutally hot in the Southwest, toppling records set just last year, and the heat isn’t over yet

A heat wave is sending temperatures soaring in the Midwest, and “corn sweat” is pushing humidity sky-high

When heat hits, we talk about the heat index, the dew point and heat risk. But what do all these measures mean?

Weather experts talk about why the film Twister is often such a favorite among tornado researchers and what they think of its new stand-alone sequel, Twisters

Temperatures in Fairbanks, Alaska, are predicted to reach a record-tying 90 degrees Fahrenheit because of a prolonged, unusually late heat wave

Project 2025 would jeopardize federal scientists’ independence and undermine their influence

Under the scorching summer sun, pavement can reach temperatures hot enough to cause second-degree burns

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm in the Atlantic, exploded in strength unusually early in its development, fueled by exceptionally warm ocean waters