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
-
The Mountain Man Who Measured the Sky’s Brilliance
Pioneering alpinist and scientist Horace Bénédict de Saussure brought us a curious relic to capture the blues above us
-
ChatGPT Gave Out My Office Address. Then Someone Showed Up.
AI consciousness expert Susan Schneider on being stalked by chatbot users, the Moltbook meltdown, and why agentic AI isn’t ready for prime time
-
The Books That Blew These Scientists’ Minds
12 leading researchers tell us about the book that opened a new world for them
-
Researchers Map Uranus’ Atmosphere in Stunning Detail
The James Webb Space telescope captured stunning images of the ice giant
-
New Blood Test Could Predict When Alzheimer’s Symptoms Will Present
Researchers have been on a quest for simple, reliable Alzheimer’s tests for years
-
Fiery Crash of SpaceX Rocket Causes Huge Lithium Plume
It’s the first known direct detection of upper-atmospheric pollution from space debris re-entry
Get the best of Nautilus. Become a member today.
Join nowThe Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
-
How Animal Suffering Can Ruin Lab Experiments
Larry Carbone on his 3 greatest revelations while writing The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals
-
Love in the Time of Climate Change
Megha Majumdar’s acclaimed novel A Guardian and a Thief explores a near-future where scarcity forces hard choices
-
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 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.
-
The Cancer No One Can Explain
Colorectal cancer in young people has been rising for 30 years. We still don’t know why—and that’s killing people. -
The Ancient Cold Snaps That May Have Shaped Human Evolution
Here’s when Earth’s climate became chaotic -
How the Triceratops Used Its Giant Nose
Its outsized nasal cavities helped it maintain body temperature -
Why This Region of Space Appears to Be Populated by Snowmen
New research offers an elegant explanation -
Blame Your Parents for Your Extreme Aversion to Snakes
But recognize that it’s a useful survival trait -
New Gene Discovery Could Postpone the Bananapocalypse
Bananas could get wiped out, it’s happened before -
The Brain Science Behind the Munchies
New cannabis research shows why we get snacky when we get high -
Paleontologists Solve a Prehistoric Murder Mystery
Welcome to CSI: Cretaceous Period -
What Grief Has to Do with Love Addiction
People who have enmeshed attachments may be more vulnerable to prolonged grief -
The Farmer Who Glimpsed a Rare Volcanic Birth
Dionisio Pulido watched as Paricutín tore through his fields—suddenly, scientists flocked there from around the globe -
New Theory of Learning Upends the Lessons of Pavlov’s Dog
Maybe we don’t need so many reminders to remember something after all -
An Unlikely Culprit Causes Lower Blood Sugar at Higher Altitudes
A scientific mystery seemingly solved -
How Energy Politics Played Out on the White House Roof
The quick removal of Jimmy Carter’s futuristic solar panels echoes more recent feuds over renewables -
“Hell Heron”: New Dinosaur Species with a Head-mounted Sword Discovered in Africa
The dramatic find sheds new light on the diversity of spinosaurs -
Grinning During Sex Isn’t Contagious, But It Does Require Tempo
A new study of bonobos shows that they grin during vigorous socio-sexual interactions -
The Missing Pieces of the Donner Party Narrative
People have only recently included Indigenous voices in the story -
Is a Strictly Enforced Fishing Ban Saving the Yangtze?
Ecologists detect promising, early signs of river recovery -
The Dark Side of the Illicit Pet Frog Trade
Where’d you get that frog? -
The Tortoises That Inspired Modern Robotics
W. Grey Walter’s early automatons sparked an ongoing fascination with artificial animals -
Babies Are Exposed to More Forever Chemicals in Utero Than Previously Thought
New research into umbilical cord blood shows a startling number of PFAS
