From the Great Sphinx’s Raw Materials, a New Crocodile Species Surfaces
It from a bygone epoch when all sorts of crocs roamed the Mediterranean
Why Do Obese People With Alzheimer’s Live Longer?
The “obesity paradox” strikes again
Is Criminal Forensics Bullshit?
Blood pattern analysis, ballistics, and drug-sniffing dogs are getting a fresh look
Human Vision Has Quirks That AI Can’t Match
Your robot butler can’t do a Magic Eye poster… yet
The Incas Adorned Animal Sacrifices With Coca Leaves
The find highlights the importance of the plant to Incan culture
Latest Stories
Thousands of Fancy Dishes Have Survived a 2,100-Year-Old Shipwreck
You probably wouldn’t want to eat off them though
David Byrne Awakens the Story of Dark Matter
In an excerpt from his new book, “Sleeping Beauties,” the musician and writer revisits the brilliant discoveries by astronomer Vera Rubin
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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Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the brightest living thinkers.
Astronomy
See more AstronomyCoral Reef-Like Rock Layers on Mars Reveal Ancient Climate Secrets
A landscape painted by rocks, wind, and water
This Spectacular Star Field Hides Brown Dwarfs That Never Ignite
The James Webb Space Telescope does it again
History
See more History
Ancient Pocket Change Reveals Special Status of Rome’s “Little Englanders”
These pilgrims didn’t have to secure travel money
How a Horse Flu Outbreak Spurred an Early Animal Rights Crusade
In 1872, New York’s devastating epizootic gave the ASPCA’s young founder a powerful moral argument for animal protection
Psychology
See more PsychologyEnvy at the Ballot Box
Majority voting may make us less willing to tolerate advantages for others
I’m Part of the Team Writing the Next Bible of Psychiatry—For the First Time, the DSM Will Use Biology to Understand Mental Disorders
Part of the challenge of finding a biomarker for mental illness is the environment’s significant influence
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Environment
See more EnvironmentOne Giant Clam Contains a Month‑by‑Month Diary of the Great Barrier Reef’s Climate 200 Years Ago
An under-the-sea autobiography
Astronaut Photos Taken Just 13 Years Apart Show a Major Shift in City Lights
We’ve moved on from the golden glow
This New “Devil Flower” Species Doesn’t Photosynthesize
It’s a rare plant with an “enigmatic and devil-like essence”
Zoology
See more Zoology
“Floating Scarecrow” Demonstrates the Enduring Power of Eyes in the Natural World
No one likes being watched
There’s a New Sea Spider in Town
Just when you think sea spiders couldn’t get any more unique…
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.
Do Babies Feel Shame?
Research suggests they may be capable of self-conscious emotion much earlier than we thought
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How An Accidental Virus Release Triggered 1977’s “Russian Flu”
Preparing for a pandemic that never came ended up setting off another
This Obscure 1960s Guide to LSD Holds Up
A survey of more than 500 private psychedelic users finds real utility in a 60-year-old pamphlet on safe tripping penned by a pioneer of harm reduction
This Newly Discovered Dinosaur Looks Terrifying—But Probably Wouldn’t Eat You
Say hello to Kayrasaurus changliensis
