Creator of Food Sharing App Wants to Feed the World
Here’s a statistic for you to consider: the U.N. estimates that over 30 percent of the food that is produced every year never gets eaten. Now one enterprising Nigerian entrepreneur
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Harvey’s Floodwaters Mix a Foul Brew of Sewage, Chemicals
Harvey’s filthy floodwaters pose significant dangers to human safety and the environment even after water levels drop far enough that Southeast Texas residents no longer fear for their lives, according
Read MoreSan Diego County Declares Emergency to Fight Hepatitis Outbreak
Officials in San Diego County have declared a public health emergency because of the spread of the liver disease hepatitis A. Infections have killed 15 people and hospitalized nearly
Read MoreGoogle Glass App Helps Autistic Children Read Social Cues
The Autism Society estimates about 1 percent of the world’s population is on the autism spectrum. The disorder can affect a person’s ability to interact with others and respond to
Read MoreHouston Toxic Waste Sites Flooded, Yet EPA Not on Scene
Floodwaters have inundated at least five highly contaminated toxic waste sites near Houston, raising concerns that the pollution there might spread. The Associated Press visited the sites this past week,
Read MoreWildfire Smoke Chokes US West, Causes Health Concerns
The smoke from massive wildfires hangs like fog over large parts of the U.S. West, an irritating haze causing health concerns, forcing sports teams to change schedules and disrupting life
Read MoreAs Texas Flooding Recedes, Health Hazards Likely to Emerge
Floodwaters are beginning to recede around Houston, and although the rain in Houston has stopped, VOA’s Carol Pearson reports, assessing its impact on the health of Houston’s residents is only
Read MoreUS Astronaut to Return to Earth Holding US Record for Days in Space
When U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson returns to Earth on Saturday from the International Space Station, she will have spent more time in space than any other American. Whitson will have
Read MoreDesalination Promises Ample Supply of Fresh Water
Although 75 percent of our planet is covered with water, many countries around the world suffer from a low supply of fresh water. There is plenty of water in the
Read MoreStudying Black Holes in a Bathtub
Mysterious black holes, thought to reside in the center of every galaxy, are difficult to study because even the closest one, in the center of our own Milky Way, is
Read MoreRecord-setting NASA Astronaut Ready to Come Home
Records are made for breaking, and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is breaking them in droves. When she returns to Earth on Sept, 2, she’ll have earned a place among the
Read More‘Reprogrammed’ Stem Cells Fight Parkinson’s Disease in Monkeys
Scientists have successfully used “reprogrammed” stem cells to restore functioning brain cells in monkeys, raising hopes the technique could be used in the future to help patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Read MoreDream Chaser Spacecraft in Captive-carry Test Over Desert
A test version of a spacecraft resembling a mini space shuttle was carried aloft over the Mojave Desert by a helicopter Wednesday in a precursor to a free flight in
Read MoreFamed T. rex ‘Sue’ Will Get New Look at Chicago’s Field Museum
The world’s biggest T. rex is getting ready for a cutting-edge makeover. The Field Museum in Chicago said Wednesday that it would take down and remount the 40½-foot-long (12.3-meter) Tyrannosaurus
Read MoreStudy: Cities and Companies Team Up to Tackle Urban Water Crises
With rising urban populations and ever scarcer water supplies, cities and companies are teaming up to invest billions of dollars in water management projects, a report said on Tuesday. Around
Read MoreTragic Child Deaths Spur Indian Schoolgirl to Raise Funds for Oxygen
A 15-year-old schoolgirl in northern India has launched a charity to provide oxygen to impoverished patients after 63 people, nearly half of them children, died due to a lack of
Read MoreClimate to Push Forest-eating Beetles to Northern US, Canada, Scientists Predict
Forests in the northeastern United States and southern Canada could be ravaged by tree-killing beetles in coming decades as a warming climate expands the pest’s habitat, a study has found.
Read MorePrepping for Future With Drought-resistant Wheat
There are two ways to deal with climate change: stop or slow it through controlling emissions, or adapt to it. Chances are we’re going to have to do both in
Read MoreThe Cost of Clean Water: $150 billion a Year, Says World Bank
Countries need to quadruple spending to $150 billion a year to deliver universal safe water and sanitation, helping to reduce childhood disease and deaths while boosting economic growth, said the
Read MoreScientists Say Harvey May Be Soggy Sign of Future Storms
By the time the rain stops, Harvey will have dumped about 1 million gallons of water for every man, woman and child in southeastern Texas — a soggy, record-breaking glimpse
Read MoreAbuse in Nursing Homes Unreported Despite Law
More than 1 in 4 cases of possible sexual and physical abuse against nursing home patients apparently went unreported to police, says a government audit that faults Medicare for failing
Read MoreVaccine for Meningitis Shows Some Protection Against Gonorrhea
Scientists have not been able to develop a vaccine against the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, despite working toward one for more than 100 years. However, they may have stumbled onto
Read MoreAmerican Workers Facing a ‘Skill Gap’
American workers are facing a paradox – many of them cannot find work while a lot of companies say they cannot find suitable candidates for job openings. Experts say the
Read MoreWorld’s Only Bonobo Sanctuary Rehabilitating Orphan Primates
Bonobos are primates that are very closely related to chimpanzees, and humans. They are found exclusively in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s not completely clear how many of them
Read MoreNew Device and App Allows Patients to Conduct Self Checkups
A new device, developed by an Israeli start-up, could make routine visits to the doctor’s office a thing of the past. Faith Lapidus reports. …
Read MoreNanotechnology Asphalt Could Last Twice as Long
In spite of many attempts to replace it with a more suitable material, asphalt concrete remains the best and cheapest material for paving roads. Vulnerable to heat, ice, ultraviolet light
Read MoreThreatened Sea Turtles Make Massive Pilgrimage to Protected Mexican Beach
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the IUCN. Threats come on land and sea. Thousands of turtles die every
Read MoreHurricane Damage as Measured by Saffir-Simpson Scale
The Saffir-Simpson scale of a hurricane’s intensity is used to estimate potential property damage and coastal flooding caused by storm surge. The scale is determined by wind speed. Storm surge
Read MoreAmerican Women Step Up as Nuclear Energy Advocates
Kristin Zaitz is confident that her nuclear power plant is safe. Zaitz, an engineering manager, was at Diablo Canyon Power Plant during both her pregnancies and has scuba dived
Read MoreWomen Stepping Up As Nuclear Energy Advocates
Nuclear power in the U.S. is under threat: power plants are closing and new construction is being abandoned. At a recent conference in San Francisco, women working in the industry
Read MoreEgyptian Students Produce Fuel From Discarded Car Tires
A group of Egyptian students have built a machine they say can produce fuel from worn-out vehicle tires. The device heats the tires until they reach evaporation point. The vapor
Read MoreArctic Melting Is Speeding Up
The oceans are rising faster and faster, threatening coastal cities around the world. The quickening pace is due, in part, to changes happening in the Arctic that scientists are just
Read MoreEbola Survivors Found to Suffer Multiple After-effects
Patients who survive infection with the Ebola virus often continue to face numerous health problems. New research finds 80 percent of Ebola survivors suffer disabilities one year after being discharged
Read MoreBollywood Movie Highlights India’s Challenge in Ending Open Defecation
India’s glitzy Bollywood movies and toilets have little in common, but they came together in a recent film that turns the spotlight on one of the most unglamorous challenges the
Read MoreCommunity Groups, Scientists Work to Stem Tree Loss
On a recent morning, a handful of young people unloaded potted saplings to plant along the curbside in a program that brings greenery to Los Angeles neighborhoods. The LA Conservation
Read MoreSpaceX Unveils Sleek, White Spacesuit for Astronaut Travel
SpaceX has unveiled a sleek white spacesuit for astronauts on its crewed flights coming up next year. Chief executive Elon Musk made the big reveal via Instagram on Wednesday. He
Read MoreSynchronized Fireflies Light Up Mountain Skies
Fireflies can be found around the world. But only in a handful of places on earth will you find the species of fireflies that synchronize their light. VOA’s Masha Mason
Read MoreFlorida Lab Sets New Magnet Strength Record
Engineers at a lab in Florida have been working quietly for 2½ years on building one of the most powerful magnets in the world. And on Monday, they succeeded. The
Read MoreArctic Researchers to Study Wind Effects on Marine Life
A federal research vessel will launch on a cruise this week to study how Beaufort Sea wind affects plant and animal life in a changing Arctic Ocean. The Sikuliaq, owned
Read MoreJapan Mulls Release of Fukushima Tritium-Contaminated Water Into Ocean
Authorities in Japan are trying to decide what to do with the hundreds of thousands of metric tons of contaminated water being stored at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant,
Read MoreJapan Considers Release of Fukushima Tritium-Contaminated Water into Pacific
Authorities in Japan are trying to decide what to do with the hundreds of thousands of metric tons of contaminated water being stored at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant,
Read MoreDemand for Geothermal Heating Heats Up
Heat from deep within the earth is an underused source of renewable energy. The United States is the world’s largest producer of geothermal energy, but it makes up less than
Read MoreFarmland Can Sequester Carbon From the Atmosphere
California rancher John Wick says the Marin Carbon Project could help save the world from climate change. “How would you possibly know, looking out at this beautiful day in front
Read MoreMillions Across US Marvel at Total Solar Eclipse
A rare total solar eclipse began in the Western state of Oregon Monday, as millions of people across the U.S. are watching the phenomenon from the Pacific to the Atlantic
Read MoreMillions Across US Watch Total Solar Eclipse
Millions of people across the United States watched a rare total solar eclipse which darkened the skies from the Pacific to the Atlantic for the first time in 99 years.
Read MoreChasing Eclipses Across the Globe a Way of Life for Some
While Monday’s total solar eclipse in the U.S. will be a once-in-a-lifetime sky show for millions, there’s a small group of people who have experienced it all before and they
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