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The Most Charming Villain in the Sky
Author Mike Stark on the 3 greatest revelations he had while writing his new book about starlings
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Sea Sponges on the Move
The bioengineers of the deep are inching their way into an expanding role in ecosystem change
The Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
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The Genetics of Putrid-Smelling Flowers
Some plants lure pollinators with the stench of decay using a gene related to one that fights odor in human breath
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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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My Visit with My Dead Father’s Brain
What I discovered about my dad and myself at the lab where his brain resides
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Inside the Big Bet on Consciousness
The real winner in the battle between two leading theories of consciousness was science itself
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Why Our Brains Crave Ideology
A neuroscientist reveals how to nurture authentic and flexible thinking
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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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The Case of the Curious Butterfly
How a newly named species has survived in tiny numbers for 40,000 years -
Why Germs Love Our Collective Amnesia
Author Thomas Levenson on writing his new book So Very Small about humanity’s struggle to accept germs’ threats -
A Cicada Fossil Surprise
A new glimpse into their ancient history -
The Body Has a Head
You have never read a science book like this -
From the Debris of Halley’s Comet
This week, chunks of the famous comet will fall to Earth in the Eta Aquarids meteor shower -
The Stress Etched in Rose Petals
These symbols of romance are geometrical enigmas -
Ghost Forests Are Growing
Saltwater is killing trees along low-lying coasts, and marshes may move in -
A Sci-fi Artist Who Draws From Real Life
A conversation with artist Yiran Jia. -
All Birds Roost in a Single Tree
The first evolutionary tree that includes every avian species -
How Female Bonobos Rule
Gangs give them strength and higher status in conflicts with males -
This Plaintive Song Is From a Land Without Lullabies
A rare tribe lacks music for dancing or soothing their young ones -
The Creativity Hack No One Told You About
Reading obituaries can boost creativity by exposing you to distant ideas -
A New Story for Malta
Evidence of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers on the island could reshape our understanding of human settlement in the Mediterranean -
Reclaiming Samples of Ourselves
Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg explores the ethics of human specimen collections in Is a Biobank a Home? -
A Map for Vanishing Animals
The geography of loss, in two imaginative charts -
Asking Trees to Solve a Roman Conspiracy
Tree-ring records suggest that drought played a role in Roman Britain’s decline -
Revisiting an Iconic Space Hat
The Sombrero Galaxy returns in a revamped Hubble image -
Snakes Break All the Rules
Stephen S. Hall on writing his new book Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World -
Why We Might Not Find Life on Titan
At most, its oceans may contain biomass equivalent to a small dog -
AI-Powered Rescue Dogs
New tech might help humans find others in need faster
