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Could Hotter Temperatures From Climate Change Boost Violence?

A police officer guards Cambodia's famed temple of Angkor Wat. The powerful city-state collapsed in 1431 after suffering through two decades of droughts. Heng Sinith/AP hide caption

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Heng Sinith/AP

Shots - Health News

Could Hotter Temperatures From Climate Change Boost Violence?

In one analysis, economists predict that extreme weather could boost the number of international conflicts by as much as 50 percent by 2050. Higher temperatures might also increase the rates of murder, rapes and domestic violence, they say because aggression seems to rise with the mercury.

Missing Lynx? Cat Is On 'Brink Of Extinction,' Study Says

Two Iberian lynxes at a nature reserve in northern Spain. (February 2006 file photo.) Victor Fraile /Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Victor Fraile /Reuters /Landov

The Two-Way

Missing Lynx? Cat Is On 'Brink Of Extinction,' Study Says

The "world's most endangered feline species," the Iberian lynx, faces continued pressure because its prey is disappearing. Researchers say the cats need to be introduced to parts of the Iberian peninsula that are higher in altitude and latitude.

How To Love The Zombie Apocalypse

World War Z is just the latest pop-culture incarnation of the Zombie Apocalypse. Adam Frank says the zombies keep coming because they're trying to tell us something. MPC/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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MPC/Paramount Pictures

Opinion

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

How To Love The Zombie Apocalypse

How did the Zombie Apocalypse become a ubiquitous all-consuming (no pun intended) meme? Adam Frank says we keep re-telling this story because it's trying to tell us something about the future. Are we listening?

Obama Lays Out Broad Plan To Address Climate Change

The Capitol dome is seen behind the Capitol Power Plant, which provides power to buildings in the Capitol complex in Washington, D.C. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption

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Carolyn Kaster/AP

The Two-Way

Obama Lays Out Broad Plan To Address Climate Change

For the first time, the government plans to limit how much carbon dioxide existing power plants can put into the air. It's a key element of the president's plan, but it's also unclear how aggressive the restrictions will be.

Go Fish (Somewhere Else): Warming Oceans Are Altering Catches

Crew members unload a catch of sockeye salmon at Craig, Alaska, in 2005. Researchers say fish are being found in new areas because of changing ocean temperatures. Melissa Farlow/National Geographic/Getty Images hide caption

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Melissa Farlow/National Geographic/Getty Images

The Salt

Go Fish (Somewhere Else): Warming Oceans Are Altering Catches

Fish are moving away from the equator and toward the poles to maintain their preferred water temperature. That means, for example, that fishermen are seeing swordfish normally found in the Mediterranean swimming near Denmark. But in the tropics, there are no fish to replace the ones that are leaving.

Go Fish (Somewhere Else): Warming Oceans Are Altering Catches

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Australia's Heron Island: A Canary In The Coal Mine For Coral Reefs?

Heron Island is located on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, about 25 miles off the northeast coast of Australia. Ted Mead/Getty Images hide caption

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Ted Mead/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Australia's Heron Island: A Canary In The Coal Mine For Coral Reefs?

The tropical island set in turquoise water just off the Great Barrier Reef is the site of an experiment to see what will happen to coral reefs as the ocean absorbs ever more of the carbon dioxide and heat we've added to our planet's thin skin. The results weren't so pretty.

Wild Bees Are Good For Crops, But Crops Are Bad For Bees

Wild bees, such as this Andrena bee visiting highbush blueberry flowers, play a key role in boosting crop yields. Left photo by Rufus Isaac/AAAS; Right photo courtesy of Daniel M.N. Turner hide caption

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Left photo by Rufus Isaac/AAAS; Right photo courtesy of Daniel M.N. Turner

The Salt

Wild Bees Are Good For Crops, But Crops Are Bad For Bees

When it comes to pollinating our favorite crops — from coffee to watermelon — honeybees can't do it alone. Wild bees in the field play a critical role in creating bumper crops, a massive new study reports. But these bees are disappearing, and scientists say the rise of crop monocultures is partly to blame.

Wild Bees Are Good For Crops, But Crops Are Bad For Bees

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U.S. Will Be 2-4 Degrees Hotter In Coming Decades, New Climate Report Says

A map depicts temperature changes over the past 20 years, compared to the average between 1901 and 1960. "The period from 2001 to 2011 was warmer than any previous decade in every region," according to the National Climate Assessment. NOAA NCDC/CICS-NC hide caption

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NOAA NCDC/CICS-NC

The Two-Way

U.S. Will Be 2-4 Degrees Hotter In Coming Decades, New Climate Report Says

By 2100, U.S. temperatures are projected to rise 3 to 5 degrees, under the most optimistic estimates — and 5 to 10 degrees if global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase.

Climate Change Revisited: It Isn't Just For Natural Scientists Anymore

Wind generators at Pacific Hydro's Cape Bridgewater wind farm in Warrnambool, Australia, in May 2012. Each generator produces roughly enough energy to meet the annual needs of 12,000 households. Mark Dadswell/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Dadswell/Getty Images

Opinion

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Climate Change Revisited: It Isn't Just For Natural Scientists Anymore

What role is there for social scientists in addressing climate change? Commentator Tania Lombrozo follows up her interview with Stephan Lewandowsky with some psychologically motivated suggestions.