A sudden freak wave killed eight people on the shore of Lake Michigan in 1954. That incident (and the specter of an atomic bomb detonating just offshore of Chicago) led a brilliant meteorologist to examine the mysteries of storm surges. Read more
Under the ground, along the sidewalks, inside of acorns (and probably in your house) live a wide variety of ants that we're only beginning to understand. Read more
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals has always been a fragile compromise, but research suggests it's had substantial benefits for eligible immigrants and the places they live. Read more
Joanne Simpson became an expert on clouds because she was a pilot, but also because, as her mentor said, scientists' lack of interest in them made the subject good "for a little girl to study." Read more
Pension shifts, TIF districts, and a cartoon made strange bedfellows as school districts waited to see if they'd get the money needed to make it through the year. Read more
