Art+Science
Biology + Beyond
Catalysts of Discovery
Cosmos
Culture
Currents
Earth
Life
Mind
Ocean
One Question
Quanta Abstractions
Rewilding
Science at the Ballot Box
Science Philanthropy Alliance
Spark of Science
The Animal Issue
The Climates Issue
The Food Issue
The Kinship Issue
The Porthole
The Reality Issue
The Rebel Issue
Women in Science & Engineering
-
How Animal Suffering Can Ruin Lab Experiments
Larry Carbone on his 3 greatest revelations while writing The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals
-
Strange Worms Are Taking Their Place on Your Family Tree
The Cambrian explosion of animal life now seems more like a whimper.
-
The Major Milk Controversy That Quickly Dried Up
A synthetic hormone once sparked a supermarket showdown, but today it has all but disappeared from dairy farms
-
New Smart Underwear Unlocks the Serious Science of Human Flatulence
It’s giving researchers insights into the microbiome—and you can help
-
Edward Teller Tried to Move Mountains With Nuclear Bombs
The father of the H-bomb hoped to put these blasts toward civilian infrastructure
Get the best of Nautilus. Become a member today.
Join nowThe Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
-
Can Morality Survive Climate Collapse?
Megha Majumdar’s acclaimed novel A Guardian and a Thief explores a near-future where scarcity forces hard choices
-
Space Exploration Speaks to the Core of Who We Are
Astrobiologist Caleb Scharf’s 3 greatest revelations while writing his latest book, The Giant Leap
-
Crick and Watson Did Not Steal Franklin’s Data
Matthew Cobb’s 3 greatest revelations while writing his book Crick: A Mind in Motion
-
Recreating the Smells of History
Using chemistry, archival records and AI, scientists are reviving the aromas of old libraries, mummies, and battlefields
-
What Would Richard Feynman Make of AI Today?
The scientific sage was always suspicious of grand promises delivered before details were understood
-
Ann Druyan on How NASA’s Golden Records Got Made
A comic about humanity’s love letter to interstellar space
-
We’re Evolving Beyond This Rock Right Now
Life is already busy making its transition to being interplanetary
-
The Confabulations of Oliver Sacks
A neurologist reckons with recent revelations about the celebrated doctor and author
-
He Erased Memory in Mice. Then Thought About Erasing His Own
Sunk in grief and alcoholism, this neuroscientist discovered the power of memory in himself
-
To Be More Creative, Immigrate
Creativity flourishes when people cross borders—and when those borders blur through deep, human connection
-
Naked Clams and Sunken Ships
A brazen plan to grow an animal that has been the bane of sailors for centuries—to feed the world
-
The Problem with Farmed Seafood
We’re decimating the ocean to feed farmed fish. But an innovative solution has surfaced.
-
Genetic Ancestry Doesn’t Tell Your Whole Story
If you’re looking for your genetic origin story, your DNA will only take you so far.
-
AI’s Innate Bias Against Animals
Chatbots and robots are a setback to animal welfare—but have the potential to be a step forward
-
The Psychedelic Scientist
High on ayahuasca, Bruce Damer saw how life on Earth began. He may very well be right.
-
The Hidden Landscape Holding Back the Sea
The fate of our planet’s coasts rests on Antarctic bedrock
-
Gaia’s Got a Fever
An aging Earth, like an aging body, is increasingly vulnerable to heat’s fatal strikes
-
In the Land of the Eyeless Dragons
The cave-dwelling olm is a canary in the coal mine for environmental change
-
Visit the 7 Most Extreme Planets in the Universe
From molten glass rain to oceans of lava, an intergalactic tour of the most terrifying and beautiful climates out there
-
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.
-
The Soviet Rebel of Music
He composed on a computer in a dangerous time. His echo is still heard today.
-
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.
-
Your Boss Could Monitor Your Heart Rate With Spy Tech
The surveillance arms race between employers and employees is heating up -
Why Exercising May Not Help You Lose Weight
New research shows our bodies might compensate for all that hard work -
How a Worried Mom Created One of the Most Versatile Inventions
Duct tape wouldn’t exist without Vesta Stoudt, whose bright idea quickly stuck -
Why Termite Kings Have Sluggish Sperm
New research reveals the evolutionary history of termites -
The Dark History of Space Medicine
How Nazi Germany influenced early research into spaceflight’s health impacts -
This Football-Shaped Creature Was an Early Terrestrial Plant-Eater
The newly discovered specimen shows how early herbivory evolved -
How Boats Are a Buzzkill for Porpoises
Without their echolocation clicks, there’s no dinner -
How the Gila Monster Gave the World Ozempic
The creature’s toxic venom revolutionized diabetes treatment -
The Long History and Uncertain Future of US Weather Forecasts
Centuries of scientific progress are at stake -
The Parasite That Chemically Castrates Its Moth Host
… after coopting viruses long ago to do its dirty work -
Living, Breathing Cities Pose Challenges for Carbon Monitoring
A new comprehensive review details the challenges and opportunities of carbon monitoring in cities -
The Woman Who Paved the Way for IVF
Miriam Menkin didn’t achieve the same fame as her colleague John Rock, but the life-changing procedure wouldn’t be possible without her -
The Dying Children Who Suddenly Wake Up
What happens to kids who experience terminal lucidity—and the caregivers who tend to them -
Here’s What Makes for an Ideal Scent-Sniffing Dog
Dog trainers and handlers tease out the characteristics that are deal-breakers -
Scientists Turn to the Internet to Name New Species
Followers of Ze Frank submitted over 8,000 names for a newly discovered chiton -
Can the Keto Diet Treat Mental Health Conditions?
How the evidence stacks up against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent claims -
Was the Human Genome Forged by Fire?
New research into burn-response genes shows evidence of accelerated evolution -
The Many Myths of the Blood Moon
What people throughout the world and across time have made of lunar eclipses -
The Monstrous Appetite of Japanese Giant Salamanders
Body size pushes these river monsters to become apex predators -
The Ape Who Could Play Make-Believe
Kanzi, the bonobo, once again topples barriers between humans and great apes by demonstrating imagination, a cognitive capacity thought unique to humans
