In the early aughties, we often took our two older children — toddlers back then — on the Bear Valley Trail in Point Reyes. On a couple of occasions when (nap)time allowed, we went as far as Arch Rock ...

Dubbed the “Valley of Ashes” in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the Willets Point peninsula was primed for a major transformation. Over the last century, the area has been polluted by ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...