North Star | Life & News

Friday, July 17, 2026

One hemisphere has summer, while the opposite has winter. Prasit photo/Moment via Getty Images

Education

Why can’t it always be summer? It’s all about the Earth’s tilt

Staff Writer - September 22, 2024

Stephanie Spera, University of Richmond Why can’t it always be summer? – Amanda, age 5,...

EXPLORING NATURE

People are often concerned about environmental risks lurking near their homes. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Business

Research about global fishing shows value of detailed environmental data, which...

Staff Writer - July 1, 2026

Mark Axelrod, Michigan State University To help people who are affected by pollution and other environmental harms, it’s common...

Leaving the pyrotechnics to the professionals is safer and more spectacular. YinYang/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Fireworks, heat and drought make this July 4th a recipe for wildfires

June 30, 2026

Rescue workers carry a person on a stretcher in Caracas following an earthquake in Venezuela on June 24, 2026. Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images

Aid is on the way after Venezuela’s earthquakes, but it’s not...

June 27, 2026

A June 24, 2026, earthquake shook buildings to the ground, trapping and killing people in Caracas, Venezuela, and nearby communities. Manaure Quintero/AFP via Getty Images

Venezuela’s deadly earthquakes happened on a fault similar to the San...

June 26, 2026

Many yoga classes end with the instructor explaining ‘namaste’ as ‘the divine in me bows to the divine in you.’ Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Why it’s OK to say ‘namaste’ in yoga class

June 23, 2026