KQED Science

Where Do Coyotes Live in Silicon Valley? These Teens Are Mapping Their Movements | KQED Meet the two high schoolers turning their love of wildlife photography into a Bay Area coyote research project.

Meet the two high schoolers turning their love of wildlife photography into a Bay Area coyote research project.

Scientists Trace Heavy Metals Spread by January’s Huge Battery Fire Near Monterey | KQED A new study from San José State University shows that last winter’s massive battery plant fire in Moss Landing spread a layer of toxic metals across the region.

A new study from San José State University shows that last winter’s massive battery plant fire in Moss Landing spread a layer of toxic metals across the region.

False Earthquake Alert Likely Triggered by ‘Something Out in the Field,’ USGS Says | KQED The USGS, which said at least four seismic stations detected ground motion that signaled a quake, quickly canceled the warning that startled the Bay Area.

The errant earthquake warning that lit up phones across Northern California with a notice of a quake in Nevada on Thursday morning was not a result of a problem with the early warning delivery system or MyShake phone application, officials said.

Bay Area Claude Fans Share Their Fondest Memories of the Rare Albino Alligator | KQED What were yours? Share them with KQED here.

The ghost-white alligator Claude died this week at the age of 30. An initial necropsy found that the alligator had liver cancer. The outpouring of public memories online was immediate and deeply personal:

King Tides to Flood Bay Area Shorelines This Week. Here's Where and When to Safely See Them | KQED This week’s extra high tide could flood shorelines across the Bay Area, offering a preview of how rising seas could reshape the region.

🌊King Tides to Flood Bay Area Shorelines This Week. Here's Where and When to Safely See Them

Beachgoers are in for some of the highest tides of the year. Tidepoolers can expect some of the lowest tides of the year.

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King Tides to Flood Bay Area Shorelines This Week. Here's Where and When to Safely See Them | KQED This week’s extra high tide could flood shorelines across the Bay Area, offering a preview of how rising seas could reshape the region.

This week’s extra high tide could flood shorelines across the Bay Area, offering a preview of how rising seas could reshape the region. Here's what to know about king tides and where to safely see them in the Bay Area:

A Queer Climate Movement Takes Root Along the Russian River | KQED In Sonoma County, two collectives care for the land while cultivating joy, belonging and even magic.

🏳️‍🌈🌲A Queer Climate Movement Takes Root Along the Russian River

“Our mission is to make the sustainability movement feel irresistible ... something you really want to do because it’s fun, sexy & interesting."

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Bay Area Electricity Bills Are Some of the Highest. Where Does Your Money Go? | KQED A fraction of your bill goes to actually generating electricity, while costs to pay for past wildfires and prevent future ones have skyrocketed.

California’s electricity rates are the second-highest in the country after Hawaii, and a majority of Californians say the expense is a top concern. The burden is even higher for low-income families.

California Adopts Tougher Methane Rule for Landfills to Curb Planetary Warming | KQED California adopted new rules to better detect and curb methane leaks from landfills, aiming to reduce the state’s second-largest source of climate-warming pollution.

California adopted new rules to better detect and curb methane leaks from landfills, aiming to reduce the state’s second-largest source of climate-warming pollution.

California Leaders Blast Trump’s ‘Idiotic’ Plan to Kickstart Offshore Oil Drilling | KQED The Interior Department released its plan to open up federal waters off California’s coast to oil drilling, setting up a direct confrontation with Sacramento on energy and climate change.

The Trump administration on Thursday released its plan to open up federal waters off the coast of California to oil drilling, taking a momentous step that state leaders and environmentalists had long expected.

Hundreds of California and Bay Area Hazardous Sites Could Face Future Flooding | KQED A new study warns that rising seas could flood nearly 250 Bay Area Hazardous sites, putting already vulnerable communities at greater risk of toxic exposure.

A new study warns that rising seas could flood nearly 250 Bay Area Hazardous sites, putting already vulnerable communities at greater risk of toxic exposure.

Hundreds of California and Bay Area Hazardous Sites Could Face Future Flooding | KQED A new study warns that rising seas could flood nearly 250 Bay Area Hazardous sites, putting already vulnerable communities at greater risk of toxic exposure.

Hundreds of CA & Bay Area Hazardous Sites Could Face Future Flooding

Power plants. Sewage plants. Fossil fuel ports. Radioactively contaminated sites. These are a few of the 249 sites across the Bay Area that could flood.

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‘We Can’t Afford to Stay’: Californians Weigh Drastic Moves as Health Premiums Rise | KQED Soaring health insurance costs are forcing some Californians to make tough choices — from dropping coverage to leaving the state or even the country — as federal subsidies expire and premiums surge.

Soaring health insurance costs are forcing some Californians to make tough choices — from dropping coverage to leaving the state or even the country — as federal subsidies expire and premiums surge.

California Doctors Urge Ban on Engineered Stone as Silicosis Cases Surge | KQED California stoneworkers are becoming severely ill from silica dust exposure from cutting engineered stone, prompting urgent warnings from doctors and workplace safety experts as Australia’s 2024 ban u...

California stoneworkers are becoming severely ill from silica dust exposure from cutting engineered stone, prompting urgent warnings from doctors and workplace safety experts as Australia’s 2024 ban underscores the urgency.

California Moves to Fill the Void Left by the Federal Government on the World Stage | KQED The Trump administration is not attending this year’s international climate conference, and said the president won’t pursue “vague climate goals.” That leaves the country’s states and cities in the li...

The Trump administration is not attending this year’s international climate conference, and said the president won’t pursue “vague climate goals.” That leaves the country’s states and cities in the limelight, and California is leading the pack.

AI Safety Expert Warns Parents to Watch Kids in Wake of Chatbot Ban | KQED A UC Berkeley bioethics professor warns that kids may be susceptible to self-harm or suicide when Character.AI bans youth under 18 from using its chatbots this month.

A UC Berkeley bioethics professor warns that kids may be susceptible to self-harm or suicide when Character.AI bans youth under 18 from using its chatbots this month.

Want to Electrify Your Home? Buy a Heat Pump? It’s Go Time | KQED A suite of federal incentives to help pay for new electric appliances will sunset Dec. 31. Here’s how to take advantage of them while you can.

Federal tax credits for various home electrification upgrades will be expiring on Dec. 31. If you’re among the heat-pump or EV-car-charger curious, read on for how to take advantage of the savings that are disappearing.

Rivers in the Sky: What You Need to Know About Atmospheric River Storms | KQED If you live in California, you've likely heard the term "atmospheric river" thrown around recently. These fast-moving storms produce up to 50% of the Golden State’s precipitation annually — and an atm...

If you live in California, you’ve likely heard the term “atmospheric river” thrown around recently. The West Coast is slammed by an onslaught of these massive, fast-moving storm systems every winter.

Chickenless Chicken Shows? Bird Flu Reshapes County Fairs and 4-H Kids Make Do | KQED California’s state veterinarian banned all chicken shows this year to limit the spread of bird flu, leaving county fairs across the state devoid of chickens.

California’s state veterinarian banned all chicken shows this year to limit the spread of bird flu, leaving county fairs across the state devoid of chickens.

Bay Area Braces for Heavy Rain, Fierce Winds During Thursday Morning Commute | KQED Meteorologists expect the heaviest rain to hit right around Thursday morning’s rush hour, with wind gusts up to 60 mph.

Wind. Downpours. Thunderstorms. Potential power outages.
National Weather Service forecasters expect this week’s atmospheric river to bring heavy rain and fierce winds across the Bay Area late Wednesday evening into Thursday.

What can #birds tell us about the health of the #SanFranciscoBay? A lot, it turns out! We’re proud to see Point Blue’s SF Bay Program Leader, Julian Wood, featured in @kqedscience.bsky.social for his insights on the newly launched #SFBayStateOfTheBirds website! 🌎🧪Learn more: shorturl.at/DVYXZ

Hold on to Your Hat: Bay Area Feels More Gusty Winds After Atmospheric River Subsides | KQED Forecasters said high winds will linger through Wednesday evening, keeping the Bay Area on alert even as the skies begin to clear.

Hold on to Your Hat: Bay Area Feels More Gusty Winds After Atmospheric River Subsides

Wind speeds reached 82 mph in the hills of Marin County. In Hayward, a tree toppled over, smashing a car. Thousands lost power.

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Hold on to Your Hat: Bay Area Feels More Gusty Winds After Atmospheric River Subsides | KQED Forecasters said high winds will linger through Wednesday evening, keeping the Bay Area on alert even as the skies begin to clear.

The bulk of the rain from this week’s atmospheric river has passed over the Bay Area, but forecasters expect high winds to remain through Wednesday evening.

An image with an orange background with a photo of a stethoscope. The title text says "Your Health Coverage is Changing." The description on the image reads "If you get health insurance through an Affordable Care Act marketplace like Covered California, your coverage is rising dramatically because federal subsidies are set to expire. What questions do you have about how this might impact you?"

What questions do you have about health insurance? Comment below with your questions or concerns, or email science@kqed.org.

What Birds Can Tell Us About the Health of San Francisco Bay | KQED A new website from conservation scientists reveals which Bay Area bird species are thriving, and which are declining, offering insights into the health of San Francisco Bay’s wetlands and waters.

A new website provides scientists, policymakers, and the public with an up-to-date look at which Bay Area bird populations are thriving and which are declining, and what that says about the health of San Francisco Bay’s wetlands and waters.

Navy Took 11 Months to Alert SF to Airborne Plutonium at Hunters Point Shipyard Site | KQED San Francisco officials and advocates are demanding answers after the U.S. Navy failed to alert the public to high levels of airborne radioactive material found last November.

San Francisco officials and advocates are raising alarms that the U.S. Navy failed to alert the public to high levels of airborne radioactive material detected almost a year ago at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.

Bay Area Teen Uses Drones to Map the Wetlands He Grew Up Loving | KQED A South Bay student uses drone technology to show what’s at stake as rising seas threaten the Bay Area wetlands that act as a natural barrier to flooding.

A South Bay student uses drone technology to show what’s at stake as rising seas threaten the Bay Area wetlands that act as a natural barrier to flooding.

UC Davis Researchers Discover New Species of Coastal Spider, Just in Time for Halloween | KQED Hidden beneath California’s coastal dunes, a newly identified spider species — Aptostichus ramirezae — reveals how evolution thrives even in fragile, shifting sands.

In the dunes between Monterey and Mexico’s Baja California, researchers discovered a new species of spider that until now, has been hidden in plain sight: Aptostichus ramirezae. The new species was announced in Ecology and Evolution.

These 5 Creatures Make a Living Off of Death: A Halloween Compilation | KQED Death might seem like the end, but for these five creatures, it’s just part of the job. In this special Halloween compilation of Deep Look, take a skin-crawling look at crows that hold funerals, whis...

Death might seem like the end, but for these five creatures, it’s just part of the job.

A Drizzly Day of Discovery at the Bay Area Science Festival | KQED A rainy day couldn’t stop the fun as families explored hundreds of science experiments, exhibitions and tours at the Bay Area Science Festival over the weekend.

Families, students and science enthusiasts filled UCSF’s Mission Bay campus for a day full of science experiments, exhibitions, stage events and lab tours.