New forms of steel for stronger, lighter cars
Like many useful innovations, it seems, the creation of high-quality steel by Indian metallurgists more than two thousand years ago may have been a happy…
Articles by Knowable Magazine
Nuclear’s role in a net-zero world
By Nicola Jones Is nuclear power a necessary part of the energy transition away from fossil fuels? As the debate rages on, new technologies and…
Inching toward a global treaty on plastic pollution
Nicola Jones Delegates from 175 nations are working on an international agreement that would tackle the vast amounts of plastic waste in the environment. A…
Green shipping picks up speed
Elise Hansen An international treaty aims to bring the shipping industry to net-zero emissions by around 2050. Can novel fuels, wind power and coordination on…
The challenges and promises of climate lawsuits
Katarina Zimmer Even the temperate, mountainous country of Switzerland isn’t immune to climate change. Sizzling heat waves are melting alpine glaciers, killing trees and fish…
The rise of green hydrogen in Latin America
Pablo Fonseca Q. Franklin Chang-Díaz gets into his car, turns on the radio and hears the news about another increase in the price of gasoline….
How heat pumps of the 1800s are becoming the technology of the future
By Chris Baraniuk Innovative thinking has done away with problems that long dogged the electric devices — and both scientists and environmentalists are excited about…
The road to low-carbon concrete
By M. Mitchell Waldrop For thousands of years, humanity has had a love affair with cement and concrete. But now, industry groups and researchers are…
Climate change is altering the chemistry of wine
By Ula Chrobak By Katarina Zimmer Warming, wildfires and unpredictable weather threaten to disrupt the delicate processes that underlie treasured wines. Researchers and producers are…
How cities can fight climate change
Deepa Padmanaban Urban activities — think construction, transportation, heating, cooling and more — are major sources of greenhouse-gas emissions. Today, a growing number of cities…
Rethinking air conditioning amid climate change
Saugat Bolakhe ACs and refrigerators help keep people safe — but they also further warm the planet. Scientists are working on eco-friendlier solutions as global…
Scientists can’t agree about Chernobyl’s impact on wildlife
Katarina Zimmer Is Chernobyl a radioactive wasteland reeling from chronic radiation, or a post-nuclear paradise with thriving populations of animals and other life forms? Studies…
Now is the time to prepare for the economic shocks of battling climate change
By Eryn Brown Shedding reliance on fossil fuels is key to making the leap from a carbon-intensive present to a greener future. Experts say that…