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A New Story for Malta
Evidence of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers on the island could reshape our understanding of human settlement in the Mediterranean
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Snakes Break All the Rules
Stephen S. Hall on writing his new book Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World
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Conjuring Imaginary Creatures
Dinosaur illustrator Mick Ellison on the evolution of using science and art to visualize the long-extinct animals of the deep past
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In Search of the First Animals
A fossilized ocean reef on a mountaintop may hold clues to the evolution of complex life
The Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
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Reclaiming Samples of Ourselves
Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg explores the ethics of human specimen collections in Is a Biobank a Home?
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Asking Trees to Solve a Roman Conspiracy
Tree-ring records suggest that drought played a role in Roman Britain’s decline
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Why Elephants Rarely Get Cancer
What snakes, ferrets, and elephants are revealing about cancer resistance
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We Are a Part of Infinity
A neuroscientist uncovers Albert Einstein’s little known spiritual journey
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Argue Your Way to a Fuller Life
Refute your friends and family, never be satisfied. Philosopher Agnes Callard on life lessons from Socrates.
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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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Balloon-Borne Telescopes Take Off
Stratospheric balloons are giving astronomers sharper views of the universe
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Why Our Brains Crave Ideology
A neuroscientist reveals how to nurture authentic and flexible thinking
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Ukrainian War Widows on the Edge
Adventure therapy takes on the challenge of helping war-torn families
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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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Revisiting an Iconic Space Hat
The Sombrero Galaxy returns in a revamped Hubble image -
Why We Might Not Find Life on Titan
At most, its oceans may contain biomass equivalent to a small dog -
Destruction for Thee, Habitat for Me
For Schaus’ swallowtail butterflies, hurricanes mean clear skies and bright futures -
As Mountains Rise, Biodiversity Blooms
Steeper, faster, and higher peaks make more species -
The Secret Lives of Moths
The nocturnal insects with surprising pollination power -
The Last of Their Kind
Are efforts to resurrect the northern white rhino more technological hubris than genuine conservation? -
Living with Lab Mice
A philosopher reflects on their unexpected roommates -
The Animals That Exist Between Life and Death
At the dawn of microbiology, scientists glimpsed unseen worlds and stumbled into a philosophical purgatory -
We Could Have Been Warthogs
The peerless animal wisdom of Robert Sapolsky -
We’re All Wild Things
Welcome to the Animal Issue -
When Earth Was a Pale Green Dot
The planet’s first photosynthesizers dined on green light -
Planet Nurseries Are Smaller Than We Thought
An explanation for the abundance of super-Earths -
Eastern North America Is a Geological Hotbed
Violent crumpling of rock left a continental edge that is much more interesting than we imagined -
Sea Slug, Climate Change Warrior
A species of sea hare has an impressive tolerance for heat and a penchant for gene mixing -
The Birds Eat the Bees
The crested honey buzzard’s unique adaptations help them eat their favorite food: young bees and wasps -
The Starlings’ Curious Odyssey
A legacy of the most hated bird in America -
The Art of the Atomic
James Stanford’s images depict an Earth and sky fractured by nuclear power -
Searching for Alien Life Along the Cosmic Shoreline
How planets gain and lose atmospheres might give us a new map of where to look for life -
How Talking Machines Got Their Voices
From the cockpit to consumer tech, synthetic voices shed light on gender biases -
A Closer Look at the Woolly Devil
The scientific potential of an overlooked flower
