KQED Science News

Struggles, decisions and startling moments that shaped KQED's science coverage in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

Federal wildlife officials say that monarch butterflies qualify to be protected as an endangered species but won't be receiving that protection for now.

California's underwater kelp forests are suffering massive declines. But a new study shows that sea otters are helping to preserve kelp off the Central Coast.

California has a rule aimed at preparing hundreds of thousands of workers from airborne disease. Why didn't it protect more people?

Donald Trump had one of the most antienvironmental agendas in U.S. history, says Rolling Stone's Hannah Murphy. However, his administration 'was really quite bad' at carrying out its plans. KQED talks to Murphy about this and what Joe Biden can do to put the environment front and center.

'There are many things under the state's control that we can do to make this problem better,' said Michael Wara, who led the team assessing wildfire costs.

Lower your risk for the coronavirus with a few simple habits. This kind of 'harm reduction' has always worked well for public health.

The most promising solution is neighbors helping neighbors, so older adults living independently can evacuate in a disaster

The drug maker balks as 34 state attorneys general call on Washington to step in and authorize more manufacturers.

From rare magnolias to towering palm trees, the San Francisco Botanical Garden is a haven for plants threatened by climate change and deforestation around the globe.

There's nothing simple about solving racial inequity in science, but here is one place to start.

Picky eating can become a dangerous disorder. What seems like finicky eating may be related to avoiding or restricting food.

With dry conditions and drought, this fire season could start early. Protect yourself, your family and your neighborhood by preparing now for a bad wildfire.

Bay Area researchers are joining forces with scientists around the world to trace the evolution of the COVID-19 virus, parsing its genome to contain its spread.

From the start of this pandemic, science news has unfolded at a dizzying pace and crushing volume. Scientific research, which usually creeps along in the background until publication day and then pops up to say something worthy, is suddenly making breathtaking international news every few days.

Fire agencies and emergency managers are now planning how they'll fight wildfires, issue evacuation orders, set up shelters and handle power shutoffs in the face of the massive challenge of coping with a highly infectious disease.

Elective procedures, including brain surgery, are on hold to preserve hospital beds and conserve masks.

Looking for something new to do as you shelter in place? Now's a great time to take up stargazing.

Is staying at home working to slow the spread of coronavirus?

As outbreaks of the new coronavirus dominate the headlines, an army of disease researchers and public health officials have mobilized to track down infections and limit the extent of the spread. To talk about the work of these disease detectives, KQED's Brian Watt spoke with Solano County Health Officer Dr. Bela Matyas. Solano County has three confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

One of the most stunning discoveries of the 2015 New Horizons flyby mission to Pluto was a big, heart-shaped region full of canyons, plains and mountain chains.

The FDA has granted researchers “expanded access” to help people with treatment-resistent PTSD.

The landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act aims to keep aquifers healthy by requiring plans from newly formed local agencies. The policy represents a major shift, mandated by arguably the most important new California water law in 50 years.

The conflict between the state of California and a Silicon Valley billionaire over a beach on the San Mateo County coast is at an important juncture.

Stanford researchers suggest modern life has changed our internal thermostat.

A science communication researcher who is studying why some people think the Earth's surface is literally flat clues us in on who is buying this extremely wrong concept and how it has spread.

Family dynamics coupled with pumpkin pie can be extremely painful for people with eating issues.

Both California and federal health officials are probing the link between chemical food dyes and kids' behavior.

Despite an increase in insurance companies dropping coverage in fire-prone areas, nobody's ready to blow up the entire system yet. But some reforms may be on the way.

California farmers are receiving millions of dollars to pull carbon out of the atmosphere, making the state home to some of the first official 'carbon farmers' in the country.

One year after devastating fires, the North Bay is grappling with how and where to rebuild.

The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to enlarge California’s biggest reservoir. But the project runs afoul of both state law and the Winnemem Wintu tribe, which says the expansion would end up submerging its sacred sites.

All about that oh-so-special feeling you get after a night of heavy drinking, from the author of "Proof: The Science of Booze."

Home can be the most dangerous place in a heat wave. It doesn't have to be that way.

The days of re-setting clocks twice a year could be numbered. If Californians approve Proposition 7 it would pave the way for year-round Daylight Saving Time.

In summer of 2017, heat waves killed 14 people and in climate-driven crisis officials called a public health emergency. KQED examines who is vulnerable and why.

This week corporate and civic leaders from around the world will gather in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit.

The effort was spearheaded by Gov. Jerry Brown to move the fight against global warming beyond the national commitments made in Paris nearly three years ago.

"Look, it's up to you and it's up to me and tens of millions of other people to get it together to roll back the forces of carbonization," says Brown in a promotional video for the summit.

It is likely to be Brown's last big climate event before he leaves office next year, and it comes at a time when many scientists agree that time is running out for a major counteroffensive against global warming, which Brown has repeatedly called an "existential threat."

Unprecedented smoke pollution across the West is creating public health risks and undermining decades of air quality gains.

A new, long-term art and science project at the University of California Santa Cruz tests possible scenarios for what gardens might look like 50 years from now as regional temperatures continue to rise.

A new breed of smoke-chasing scientists is finding important clues to fire behavior in the smoke plumes from western wildfires.

For a century, California has harnessed its water with concrete, building dams and reservoirs on an epic scale.

Now, as the state prepares to hand out $2.7 billion for new water storage projects, it looks as though that era of dam-building might be ending.

During the height of the California's 5-year drought, state voters approved new funding for water storage as part of Proposition 1. This week, the California Water Commission will allocate those funds to the eight projects that have qualified after a lengthy analysis.

Some projects are classic dams, but several won’t get the windfall they’d been hoping for. Instead, next-generation projects are in the running, like using the state's vast network of natural underground aquifers for water storage.

That’s sparked a fierce debate over how California can get more water.

California wildfires can be less catastrophic if we deliberately burn dry grasses and brush ahead of time. Plus, there's less overall pollution.

It will most likely be weeks before the County Fire west of Sacramento is completely extinguished. By Friday it had consumed nearly 140 square miles -- an area larger than Las Vegas.

Firefighters say it was a vicious cycle of weather conditions, terrain and vegetation that made it one of the fastest-growing fires in recent memory. But there was something else at work: a relatively new challenge confronting fire crews.

Scientists have noted that nighttime temperatures -- overnight lows, in particular -- are rising at a faster rate than daytime highs.

Wolves, bears and mountain lions (oh my!) are some of the animals settling into a major new expansion of the Oakland Zoo. The zoo says its “California Trail” project is pushing the envelope for animal welfare and conservation. But whether zoos should even keep large predators remains controversial because of their need to roam and hunt. Reporter Sarah Craig takes us to meet the new arrivals.

The season of summer blockbusters is in full swing. From the rollicking space adventure of "Solo," to the universe-spanning "Avengers: Infinity War," characters are dodging blasters, collecting stones of power, and falling in love as their world hangs in peril.

It's a lot of popcorn, and whole lot of fun. It's also a chance to lose yourself in new imaginary worlds. Sometimes what you see on screen can become inspiration for real life.

"The number of present-day scientists who might point to a character like Spock as a point of inspiration that got them interested in science is many," says Rick Loverd, program director of the Science & Entertainment Exchange, a project of the National Academy of Sciences.

"It's our job here at the Exchange to try to facilitate as many of those moments as possible for the next generation of kids."

The service is free and works best, Loverd says, when a researcher connects with a storyteller early on, while the project is still being envisioned.

"While we're happy to help at anytime," Loverd says, "we're most excited by those projects where a screenwriter calls us up and says, 'Hey, I just had an idea. It involves time travel and I'd love to talk to a scientist.'"

Loverd helped "Black Panther" movie makers conceive the city of Wakanda, for example, finding architects, city planners and anthropologists to contribute to a document the crew used as a reference for the history, culture and layout of Wakanda.

Lovered recently spoke with KQED Science editor Danielle Venton about what science can offer to Hollywood.

Deciding how to vote on Prop. 68? Here's everything you need to know.

UPDATE: Voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 72 by a roughly 83-17 margin, in a move to promote water conservation in the state.

What You Need to Know About Proposition 72

• Exempts rainwater catchment systems from property tax assessments
• Applies to systems constructed on or after Jan. 1, 2019
• The rainwater system is included in the value of the home when it is sold.

How did It Get on the Ballot?

State lawmakers put Proposition 72 on the ballot with a unanimous vote in both houses.

Why Do People Support It?

Rainwater systems catch rain from the roof of a home and siphon it to a large barrel, or even larger cistern, for outdoor use. Prop 72 aims to encourage rainwater catchment by ensuring that homeowners who install a system won't have to pay property tax on the increased value of the home. Using rainwater for landscaping will preserve drinking water, lower utility bills and retain more water in streams and rivers, thereby aiding fish and wildlife.

Prominent state newspapers have endorsed it. So have environmental groups like Save the Bay and Trout Unlimited.

Why Do People Oppose It?

Actually, there's no organized opposition to Proposition 72, and no opposition statement listed in the California Secretary of State voter guide.

Who Gains -- Who Loses?

Homeowners gain an incentive to install rainwater catchment systems, because they won't have to pay property tax on the home improvement. The savings for homeowners can be varied. An inexpensive system might mean only a few dollars saved in property taxes. But there are also bigger, more expensive systems that can cost thousands to install and would otherwise raise property taxes a noticeable amount. The value of the catchment system would be included in the value of the home when it is sold.

Local governments may bring in slightly lower property tax revenues.

*Michael Mann, creator of 'hockey stick' curve for greenhouse gases, says we now have to double sea rise projections.
*Sees California as 'shining beacon' for how to take action
*Despite harassment, says 'You don't back off from a worthy battle when the stakes are important.'

Even as negotiators wind up another round of climate talks in Germany this week, there is little evidence that leaders are reining in global greenhouse gas emissions enough to avoid warming Earth by more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) — that's the threshold at which scientists say we can avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

In fact, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere averaged more than 410 parts per million in April, for the first time since scientists have been tracking it. KQED Science Editor Craig Miller sat down recently with Michael Mann, who directs the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University, to assess where things stand.

Young adults with autism often struggle to find jobs, let alone meaningful careers. But a new Bay Area program is pioneering ways to turn what some employers might view as disabilities into strengths. KQED’s Peter Arcuni tells us how that’s playing out in the field of scientific research.

One day we may tell our kids or grandkids about the first time we ever saw a car drive down the street without a human behind the wheel. Today in California, we are a little closer to that milestone. Now, the DMV can issue permits to test driverless cars on public roads. Unlike previous testing, the new permits will not require cars to have a person behind the wheel.

What did Exxon executives know about climate change and when did they know it? A federal judge in San Francisco hears cities and the oil industry on climate science Wednesday.