This plan moves wind farms away from populated areas, and, because wind blows more steadily over the sea, allows the seafaring turbines to be several times larger than grounded ones. The offshore turbines might even be able to reduce storm surges and temper hurricanes before they hit land. On the other hand, they have to be much sturdier to withstand rough ocean weather. Amped is a video series made with our partners Nexus Media that looks at the science and technologies that are remaking energy for the world of tomorrow....

Normally, the B-52s of the 5th Bomb Wing are based in Minot, North Dakota. Their March 4 mission, as the Air Force command responsible for Europe and Africa described it, was to conduct “a long range integration flight through Europe connecting with Germany and Romania.” In that role, the bombers carried out a close air support training exercise, in which they partnered with German Joint Terminal Attack Controllers—soldiers whose job it is to direct airplanes to the targets they are supposed to attack....

However, with reports that the magnetic north pole has started moving swiftly at 31 miles per year—and may soon be over Siberia—it has long been unclear whether the northern lights will move too. Now a new study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, has come up with an answer. Our planetary magnetic field has many advantages. For over 2,000 years, travelers have been able to use it to navigate across the globe....

Sapna Kudchadkar still remembers the morning in 2010 that shaped the trajectory of her scientific research. She was in the midst of a medical fellowship, listening carefully to the hospital’s overnight staff, as they summarized the progress of each child in the pediatric intensive care unit. The staff would comment on how well the patients had slept the night before. “In that moment, I realized that we weren’t really talking about sleep, per se, but really sedation,” says Kudchadkar....

But IgE is just the trigger. Figuring out how the immune system develops during childhood to allow these antibodies to be produced has led to a much larger picture. The most important risk factor may appear to be exposure to allergens. The higher the exposure to allergens such as dust mites and cockroaches, the greater the likelihood of allergy later in life. Yet, this has been countered by other studies showing a rural lifestyle complete with exposure to all aspects of the environment can reduce the chances of this condition....

After four years since its last update, that desktop software setup is changing again, and the current tools (Backup & Sync for free account holders, and Drive File Stream for enterprise customers), will be replaced by a new, single platform called Drive for Desktop. You can carry on accessing Google Drive in your web browser and mobile apps as always—creating Docs, Sheets, and Slides just the same as before. But if you want to keep data from Google Drive on your computer and sync it to the cloud, or if you’ve got large batches of files you need to upload to your Drive, then you’ll want to download the desktop application....

Finding the best ice skates is similar to shopping for any kind of specialized sports equipment. You have to know your intended use: Are you a speed skater, a figure skater, a hockey player, or just a recreational skater? You also have to understand how skates fit. It’s not the same as shopping for a pair of sneakers or work boots, so it’s important to grasp the intricacies of skate design and intention because it could mean the difference between a smooth trip around the rink and a painful round of crippling foot torture....