Dead Star Offers a Glimpse Into Our Solar System’s Future
A ring of debris hints at planetary survivors
Vultures Help Eliminate Pathogens. Bird Flu Could Eliminate Them
Dwindling vulture populations are locked in a fight for their lives
The Quest for Wisdom in Turbulent Times
A conversation with three Harvard professors about the practice of wisdom in everyday living
Hunting is for Girls—at Least Among Bonobos
They out-hunt their male counterparts
When Frog Eyes Are Like Fingerprints
The eyes of egg-eating spiny-backed frogs certainly make an impression
Latest Stories
Forgotten Coding Queens, Telephones Untangled, and a Poisonous Quest: 8 Books We’re Excited to Read This November
The Nautilus monthly reading list
Cloudy With a Chance of Incineration: Predicting Weather on Distant Worlds
How scientists decode climate light-years away
What Can We Learn About Happiness From the People Who Study It?
Happiness pioneers recently gathered to discuss the good life
Read Stories from Our Newest Print Issue: The Stupid Issue
See moreThe Elegance of a Stupid Question
Are computers in mathematics rewriting the definitions of stupid and smart?
The Resistance Is Here
They didn’t plan to be activists. But scientists have united to overturn Trump’s drastic cuts to science.
The Return of a Discredited Pseudoscience
Eugenics is rearing its ugly head again in today’s crucible of politics and culture
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Astronomy
See more AstronomyThis Dark Spot on the Moon Might Be a Giant Lunar Cave
NASA wants to explore it—perhaps as a potential moon base?
Was This the Exact Date of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”?
Astronomers look beyond the stars in search of Van Gogh’s inspiration
63 Years Ago This Week, Félicette Became the First Cat in Space
She’s still the only feline to have the honor
History
See more History
This Is the Oldest Peace Treaty Ever Discovered
Maybe there are a few things we can still learn from it
Psychology
See more PsychologyInside the Mind of a Narcissist
Their brains don’t sync the same way when it comes to processing empathy
Forensic Facial Specialists Can Identify People Using Just a Couple Facial Features
Your furrowed brow may be betraying you
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Environment
See more Environment
The World’s Largest Penguin Colony Suffers Catastrophic Loss
Something is amiss in Antarctica
This Giant Waterlily Species Was Discovered Via Instagram
They can grow to more than 6 feet in diameter
Zoology
See more Zoology
When Texas Bat “Cities” Look Like Thunderstorms
Weather apps generally modify their default settings to remove such scenes from Doppler radarviews. Otherwise, live-feed watchers would think a torrential downpour is imminent
The Bloody Palette of the Animal Kingdom
Red isn’t the only color when it comes to blood—critters produce the vital fluid in a variety of hues
Philosophy
See more PhilosophyCould AI Have Consciousness That Isn’t Human-Like?
Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith on AI consciousness and existential risk
What a Picture of a Dog Has to Do with Reason and Logic
People who can’t see images in their minds challenge an old philosophical standby
What Makes Humans Stupid
It takes intelligence to get things spectacularly wrong. An essay on our undoing.
This Prehistoric Creature is the Only Ocean-Dwelling Amphibian Ever Discovered
It lived in the Triassic muck on the seafloor
Read more
See all postsThere’s a New, International Food Pyramid in Town
It’s based on research into dietary guidelines from around the world
The Teenage Girl Who Remembers Everything
A conversation with a scientist about a 16-year-old who has highly superior autobiographical memory
Spike-Thumbed Dino Discovered in the United Kingdom
The swamp-dwelling iguanodon relative may have been dinner for spinosaurs
Mother Bats’ Hearts Quicken When They Hear Baby’s Cries
Like humans, bat moms are primed by evolution to spring into action
Ice Age Europeans Were More Connected Than We Thought
A prehistoric French woman’s DNA tells the story
These Are the Most Stunning Weather Photos of the Year
The American Meteorological Society just announced the winners of its 2026 photo contest
