On August 29, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a huge change in the rules designed to protect America's wetlands. The EPA was forced to change the rules because of a Supreme Court decision that took away protection from most wetlands.
Published in “Science”
Recently, fans of self-driving cars have gotten some good news, followed by bad news. Two self-driving taxi companies were given permission to expand their work in San Francisco. But a string of accidents has led to new concerns about how safe the cars actually are.
A recent report from a United Nations group warns that using technology in classes may not help as much as many people believe. The report suggests that technology should be used less in schools, and that smartphones should be banned from classrooms.
India's space agency, ISRO, has successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon. It's the first time any country has safely landed at the moon's south pole. The landing is a huge success for India, which has been working on the project for years.
On Sunday, Ecuador held a special vote on whether oil drilling should be allowed in Yasuni National Park. The vote was part of a larger election to choose the country's next president. Nearly 60% of Ecuadorian voters chose to protect the park.
On August 1, new rules went into effect in the United States that make it against the law to sell most incandescent light bulbs. These are older-style light bulbs that create light by heating a wire. The law is expected to save energy and help the environment.
Last week, three wildfires swept through the island of Maui in Hawaii. The fires have killed at least 96 people and destroyed over 3 square miles (8.5 square kilometers) of land. Some of the fires are still burning, but the danger seems to have passed.
Scientists have brought back to life two tiny worms that had been frozen for 46,000 years. The worms were found in the frozen soil of Siberia. The worms are a new species, and are the oldest living animals ever brought back to life after being frozen.
In a world-record effort to help save a rare sea creature, Australian scientists have released hundreds of baby seahorses into the wild. The tiny seahorses are endangered, and the scientists hope the new seahorses will help their numbers grow.
People who have trouble walking or moving around often have a hard time enjoying the beach. But hundreds of beaches in Greece now offer a new way for people in wheelchairs to get into the water by themselves. It's called Seatrac.
In late June, the US government agreed to allow two companies to sell chicken meat that has been grown in a laboratory. That makes the US the second country to approve lab-grown chicken. The companies say they will be serving the chicken in restaurants this summer.