Are Home Insurers Abandoning Communities Vulnerable to Climate Change?
The U.S. Department of the Treasury makes an unprecedented move to find out if home insurers are abandoning communities vulnerable to climate changeAn aerial picture taken on October 1, 2022 shows a broken section of the Pine Island Road and destroyed houses in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Matlacha, Florida. Credit: Ricardo Arduendo/AFP via Getty
What’s on the Horizon for 2023
Credit: NASA/piemags/Alamy Stock PhotoFor the editors at Scientific American, a new year is a chance to look ahead and predict what might unfold in the world of science and health. In 2022 we covered both inspiring and disturbing news—exquisite images from space telescopes, massively reduced reproductive rights in the U.S., efforts to dismantle environmental regulation, a
Predators Act like Butterflies’ Eyespots Are Looking Right at Them
Butterfly markings work better when they’re “looking” toward prey Credit: Mitsuhiko Imamori/Minden PicturesThe concentric circles or eyespots on butterfly and moth wings—like those seen on this Suraka silk moth—not only look like real eyes but may also appear to glare directly at predators from many directions, scientists have found. This optical illusion, called the “Mona
Restrictions on Psilocybin ‘Magic Mushrooms’ Are Easing as Research Ramps Up
The molecule psilocybin is found in hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms.” Credit: Yarygin/Getty ImagesMagic mushrooms are undergoing a transformation from illicit recreational drug to promising mental health treatment. Numerous studies have reported positive findings using psilocybin—the mushrooms' main psychoactive compound—for treating depression as well as smoking and alcohol addiction, and for reducing anxiety in the terminally ill.
Financial Firms May Have to Reveal their Climate Risk
U.S. regulators laid the groundwork last year to address the threats that climate change poses to the global financial system. This year could see those efforts bear fruit. Success will depend on how quickly agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission can finalize the climate-related policies they outlined in 2022, as well as the
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