Study links Oklahoma earthquake swarm with fracking operations
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Oklahoma has seen a boom in two things in recent years: oil and gas production and earthquakes.
Category: LA Times Science
Coastal winds intensifying with climate change, study says
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Summer winds are intensifying along the west coasts of North and South America and southern Africa and climate change is a likely cause, a new study says.
Hurricane Arthur heading to Category 2 but still not major 2014 storm
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NOAA has predicted one to two major hurricanes this season, and Hurricane Arthur will probably not be one of them.
University of California launches effort to reduce world hunger
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The University of California system is launching an effort to expand research and outreach to help reduce world hunger, improve nutrition and aid farmers coping with climate change, officials announced Tuesday.
Forest Service to close Eaton Canyon above first waterfall
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When it comes to risky climbs, few can match the half-mile trek to the second waterfall in Eaton Canyon north of Pasadena, a steep, narrow path over crumbling granite cliffs that has claimed five lives and caused dozens of injuries over the past four years.
Walking improves mood, eases fatigue in those with Parkinson’s disease
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In yet another endorsement for getting on your feet and walking, researchers said Wednesday that people with mild to moderate Parkinsons disease may improve their motor function, mood, fatigue levels and more by taking regular aerobic walks.
New fossil shows Archaeopteryx sported ‘feathered trousers’
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The origin of feathers and the origin of flight have been a contentious chicken-and-egg issue in the scientific world for decades. Did feathers develop as a flight mechanism — or were they first used for other purposes?
Ocean’s nasty plastic garbage is disappearing: What’s going on?
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Plastic seems to be disappearing from the world’s oceans, and scientists are not sure why.
NASA reschedules launch of global warming satellite
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NASA hopes the third time will be the charm for its OCO-2 satellite, which was rescheduled for liftoff at 2:56 a.m. Wednesday.
Yet another study confirms the safety, benefits of childhood vaccines
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Public health experts have taken a fresh look at the safety records of childhood vaccines and once again pronounced them safe.
NASA scrubs launch of global warming satellite
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NASA scrubbed the launch of a Delta II rocket Tuesday, 46 seconds before it was to carry the agency’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite into orbit.
Ancient baby boom in American Southwest exceeded modern birthrates
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The grandeur of Mesa Verdes cliff-side dwellings and the awe-inspiring engineering feats of Chaco Canyon attest to the vibrant cultures that flourished in the American Southwest more than 1,000 years ago. At these sites, ancient civilizations monitored the motions of the cosmos, developed…
Blocking Californians’ beach access will soon carry a hefty fine
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Frustrated beachgoers this summer will finally have a remedy against anyone who blocks public access to California’s shoreline.
Malaria parasite alters host body odor to entice mosquitoes
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The parasite that causes malaria tinkers with the body chemistry of its host, causing it to produce odors that attract more mosquitoes during a key phase in the parasites reproductive cycle, a new study suggests.
Sexting in middle school linked with real-life sex, study finds
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Sexting is not a harmless activity that younger teens see as a substitute for real sex. A new study of Los Angeles middle school students finds that those who sent or received sext messages were significantly more likely than their non-sexting peers to be sexually active.
NASA Mars test a success. Now to master the parachute
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Halfway to space in the skies above Hawaii, NASA successfully tested its Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator, a vehicle equipped with new technology for ferrying heavy payloads to Mars. A massive balloon lifted the saucer-shaped vehicle from a naval base in Kauai at 11:45 a.m. (Pacific) on…
Developers seek end to federal protections for California gnatcatcher
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Developers citing new scientific evidence are pressing to end federal protections for the California gnatcatcher, whose status as a threatened species has barred development in many areas of prime Southern California coastal real estate for two decades.
Would you take a pregnancy test at a bar? Alaska hopes so
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Ladies, how likely would you be to take a pregnancy test in the bathroom of a bar?