Why scientists are using cheap picnic coolers to protect some of the world’s most endangered animals
It might not surprise you that climate change is killing coral reefs, but what could surprise you is how a low-tech approach — we’re talking picnic coolers — might give restored reefs a better shot at surviving. It’s part of a simple experiment for a complicated problem.
Benji Jones dove (during a typhoon!) into the waters of Palau, an island nation in the western Pacific, where scientists have been trying to identify heat-tolerant corals and determine whether planting them could make reef restoration more effective in a warming world. And yes, they’re doing it with picnic coolers. After you’ve read the article and scrolled through the beautiful photos, join Benji on Unexplainable (available on Netflix) for more about his trip.
🎧 Why babies’ experiences matter (even if they can’t remember them)
Have you wondered why you can’t remember being a baby? Just me? Thanks to the latest episode of Explain It to Me, I now know why: infantile amnesia. What was fascinating to learn through this episode is that even though we can’t recall early memories, they’re still crucial to our development into adulthood. In fact, those first few years affect how we learn, connect with others, and experience the world — even after the memories have faded.
Cuba has plenty of doctors. So why is its healthcare system collapsing?
The newest group of fellows on our Future Perfect team is starting to publish their work. In this new piece, Ananya Rupanagunta takes a complex issue and makes clear how healthcare is interwoven with the infrastructure around it. Her story looking into Cuba’s worsening health crisis is an urgent and stark reminder that what keeps us healthy goes beyond simply doctors, hospitals, and medicine.
🎧 Flock cameras are watching you
Even if you aren’t familiar with the company Flock, you probably know what its cameras can do: scan the license plates of passing cars, capturing details like a car’s make, model, bumper stickers, and other identifying features. As the tech has grown more powerful, stories of its misuse have been spreading. In this Today, Explained episode, Sean Rameswaram chats with the journalist Jason Koebler about how Flock has become a symbol for mass surveillance — and how that has fueled a vigilante vandalism movement across the country.
