The Watchers team and our contributors bring the latest on extreme weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, space weather, and all things science. We're all about making sense of the natural world and keeping you informed on what’s happening. Got a tip or a question? Hit us up using the form at newstips!
A team of scientists has been combing through the payload of NASA's Stardust spacecraft since it returned to Earth in 2006. They found seven rare, microscopic interstellar dust particles, that most likely came from outside of our solar system. If
In this video CGP Grey discusses pros and cons of automation and the impact it will have on human employment. Explaining automation as a tool to produce abundance for little effort and its inevitability the author warns we need to prepare for the time when large&nb
This video is a compilation of Perseid meteors seen by the NASA All Sky Fireball Network on the night of August 12-13, 2014. Even if you missed the peak show last night there is still time, just head out when it gets dark and enjoy. The rates are sharply
It's a known fact that planets have atmospheres, but the same can't be said for comets. The atmosphere of a comet, called its "coma," is made of gas and dust that spew out of the sun-warmed nucleus and it's typically wider than Jupiter.La
Pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and other contaminants are widespread in water that has passed through landfill waste. The samples of this liquid, also known as leachate, were collected from within each of the studied landfills. This study by the U.S. Geol
Sections of Antarctica's frozen desert can experience hundreds of micro-quakes an hour due to ice deformation. These quakes are also called icequakes and they are a usual occurrence on Antarctica. However, after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit C
Physicists at The Australian National University (ANU) have created a tractor beam on water, providing a radical new technique that could confine oil spills, manipulate floating objects or explain rips at the beach.The group, led by Professor Michael Shats discovered th
The drought-stricken state of California is sinking into itself at an alarming rate, suggests a new report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The continued over-pumping of groundwater in many parts of the state — the direct result of a historic three-year dry spell
Taking the human-machine concept to an unprecedented level, pioneering scientists are working on the seamless marriage between electronics and brain signaling with the potential to transform our understanding of how the brain works — and how to treat its most
Fast-growing fire has consumed Västmanland, Sweden, since July 31 and grew to become the largest Sweden has seen in 40 years. As of August 8, it had charred more than 150 square kilometers (60 square miles), killed one person, and forced thousands to evacuate…
