How Spiders Fly
Darwin saw them ballooning. Without any wind. Eventually some scientists figured out their electric secret.
Author Archives: H.R. Smith
H.R. Smith is an editor at Mission Local, a former Knight Science Journalism fellow at MIT, and a contributing writer to the atlases Infinite City and Nonstop Metropolis. She is exceedingly interested in most things. @strangerworks
Survival of the Flittest: Relocated Butterflies Are Spotted in San Francisco
At a recent release, volunteers help a new batch of silvery blues adjust to city life.
There’s a New Blue Flitting on Xerces’ Old Turf
The Xerces blue, long gone from San Francisco, became a symbol of the fight against extinctions. Now scientists are sending in a replacement to the dunes of the Presidio. Will...
Dos Rios Is California’s First State Park in 15 Years, and It Has a Lot to Do
Dos Rios Ranch State Park, in the Central Valley, is a test of California’s ability to adapt to the future—and learn from the past.
The Native Seed Gold Rush
Big environmental dreams—and disasters—have created demand. Now it's time to worry about supply.
A Slime of One’s Own
To find slime molds, look for the damp places. Your quarry will be visible to the naked eye when it joins forces by the thousands to coalesce into blobby shapes—like...
