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When Earth Had No Fire
Laura Poppick’s 3 greatest revelations while writing her book, Strata: Stories from Deep Time
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Is the Show Finally Over for These Whales and Dolphins?
They were bred to entertain in a now-shuttered marine park. Now they need to be rescued.
The Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
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Charting the Blue Realm
To explore the deep sea is to understand the human story and the nature of knowledge
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A (Complicated) Ode to the Honeybee
I was not alone in seeing my garden’s bees die this winter—now, we have a new clue why
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AI Already Knows Us Too Well
Chatbots profile our personalities, which could give them the keys to drive our thoughts—and actions
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What We Misunderstand About Robots
Sci-fi master Adrian Tchaikovsky on evolution, other minds, and the politics of science
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Is It Cake? How Our Brain Deciphers Materials
Neuroscientists are discovering how this basic ability, essential to our survival, works
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How To Tell If You’re Dead
The line between life and death has never been clear—and modern technology blurs it further
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Evolution and Guinea Pig Toes
How one animal’s oddity inspired Sewall Wright to take on one of Darwin’s big ideas
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Hope Catches a Tailwind
Dona Bertarelli brings her intimate knowledge of the high seas to advocate for conserving ocean ecosystems
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Our Boiling Seas
Scientists are getting better at predicting marine heatwaves. But is it enough to save ecosystems and vulnerable species?
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Stranger Things in the Universe
New data about dark energy is a reminder that cosmology is a never-ending story
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Neutron Stars Hint at Another Dimension
Are the mysterious stars clues to one of the greatest mysteries in the universe?
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The Extraordinary, Imperiled Science at the End of the Earth
Firing experts in Antarctica couldn’t come at a worse time
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How We Solved the Hole in the Ozone
A scientist’s first-hand account shows the world can tackle a global environmental crisis.
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The Sean Carrolls Explain the Universe
Why are we here? Is there life on other planets? The renowned scientists who share a name share their answers to life’s big questions.
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The Soviet Rebel of Music
He composed on a computer in a dangerous time. His echo is still heard today.
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How Whales Could Help Us Speak to Aliens
Learning to decode complex communication on Earth may give us a leg up if intelligent life from space makes contact.
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Behold These Hidden Galaxies
Up to 100 tiny orphan galaxies may lurk in the shadows of our own Milky Way -
How Waves Shape the Planet
Ocean swells are critical to the cycle of life -
The Inner Worlds of Reptiles
Tortoises were found to have feelings, pointing to other overlooked animal minds -
Longevity Might Be All In Your Head
The biological age of your organs could predict your health—and death -
How to Make the Bread That Fueled the Pyramids
And the beer that gave rise to civilizations, too. -
Our Busy Universe
A sliver of space from the Vera Rubin Observatory -
What Deep Time Can Tell Us About Coral Reefs
Lisa Gardiner on the 3 greatest revelations she had while writing Reefs of Time -
Art and Science in a Grain of Sand
Filmmaker Mark Levinson on the kinship between disciplines -
A Hymn Lost for a Millennium
AI helped piece together clay fragments to tell a new story of Babylon -
Monumental Burial Mounds Rewrite Ancient History
The colossal structures, built by hunter-gatherers, are way older than archaeologists had thought possible -
Lefties Aren’t as Creative as We Thought
In fact, righties may have the edge, contrary to popular belief -
Leap of Faith
Lemur mothers are bold mountaineers when hunting for food -
Cheese Might Haunt Our Dreams
Centuries-old wisdom may ring true on food-fueled nightmares -
Gaming Cancer
How community science games could help cure disease -
Saltier, Hotter Sea Springs a Leak in Ice Sheets
A surprising reversal at sea brings a big change -
These Bees Are Tricksters
How nomad bee species rely on deceit to provide for their offspring -
Laughing Apes Take Risks
Hearing the sounds of chuckles may make our bonobo cousins think on the bright side -
Chasing Lost Languages
Author Laura Spinney on the 3 greatest revelations she had while writing Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global -
“There Were Periods When I Felt He Ruined My Life”
Amanda Gefter talks about the exhausting and thrilling decade she spent writing about lost genius Peter Putnam -
The Ecosystem Dynamics That Can Make or Break an Invasion
By simulating ecological networks with microbes, researchers revealed properties that may make natural communities susceptible to invasion
