Editor's note

With Hurricane Florence on its way to the East Coast, more than 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate. But how do forecasters know how powerful a storm will be and and where it’s going to hit? Florida State University meteorologists explain the complicated science of hurricane prediction – and the ways researchers are trying to improve it.

Earlier this week, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law mandating that the electricity the state consumes become “zero-carbon” by 2045 and issued an executive order that could require even bolder steps than that. University of California Merced professor Sarah Kurtz, a solar energy expert, explains how the state could accomplish this ambitious goal.

There’s no shortage of college rankings designed to inform parents and prospective students about which colleges and universities supposedly offer the best bang for the buck. But a new analysis by education scholar Jonathan Wai and colleagues shows the rankings may actually be measuring something entirely different than the value an individual institution of higher education adds to a student’s life.

Aviva Rutkin

Big Data + Applied Mathematics Editor

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Hurricane Florence, as seen over the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 9. NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center/Handout via REUTERS

How meteorologists predict the next big hurricane

Mark Bourassa, Florida State University; Vasu Misra, Florida State University

How do experts know when and where the next big hurricane is going to hit? A look at the complicated science of forecasting.

Monitoring the flow of electrical power at the California Independent System Operator grid control center. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

California aims to become carbon-free by 2045. Is that feasible?

Sarah Kurtz, University of California, Merced

A new law provides flexibility in terms of how the state can meet this new target for the electricity it consumes.

The value of college rankings is continually being called into question. Uncle Leo/www.shutterstock.com

What college rankings really measure – hint: It’s not quality or value

Jonathan Wai, University of Arkansas

College rankings are set up to make you believe one college is better than another. But a closer look reveals college rankings may be measuring something entirely different.

Politics + Society

Health + Medicine

Economy + Business

Ethics + Religion

Environment + Energy

  • What the world needs now to fight climate change: More swamps

    William Moomaw, Tufts University; Gillian Davies, Tufts University; Max Finlayson, Charles Sturt University

    Wetlands are some of the world's most undervalued weapons against climate change. They store huge quantities of carbon – but without better protection, many could soon be drained or paved over.

Science + Technology

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