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Quanta Abstractions
Rewilding
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The Reality Issue
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Women in Science & Engineering
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Tiny Volcano-Dwelling Creature Breaks Heat Record
The fire amoeba challenges assumptions about what complex life needs to survive on Earth
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What’s Your City’s Hoofprint?
A new study measures the impact meat eating has on the planet, one city at a time
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This “Cinderella Sense” May Be Tied to More Than 130 Disorders
Researchers give a whiff of why smell matters to health
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Here’s Why Some Insomniacs Can’t Sleep
Downshifting from the noise of the day is easier for some than others
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Living Large: Giant Anacondas Blew Up 12 Million Years Ago
Recently unearthed fossilized vertebrae shows the resilience of the massive snakes
The Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
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Could Virtual Reality Help Doctors Learn Empathy?
Medical schools are testing simulations to bridge the emotional gulf between physicians and their patients
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AI Might Not Harm Us in the Way You Think
Researchers are divided over AI’s cognitive harms—and whether we should use these tools at all
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The Nautilus Reading List About the Cosmos
Our writers have read a universe of books on space and astronomy. Here are their favorites.
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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
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The Problem with Farmed Seafood
We’re decimating the ocean to feed farmed fish. But an innovative solution has surfaced.
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The Hidden Landscape Holding Back the Sea
The fate of our planet’s coasts rests on Antarctic bedrock
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Gaia’s Got a Fever
An aging Earth, like an aging body, is increasingly vulnerable to heat’s fatal strikes
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The Secret Superpowers of Frog Skin
The slime coating frog bodies could hold the key to fighting infections, healings wounds and even curing cancer
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Will Trump’s Immigration Policies Hurt US Nobel Chances?
Drastic cuts to science funding and immigration restrictions could hobble the country’s research enterprise
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The Periscope: Book Weeding, Fact-Checking, and Imperiled Fruit Fly Data
What Nautilus executive editor Katherine Courage has been tuning into recently
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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
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To Be More Creative, Immigrate
Creativity flourishes when people cross borders—and when those borders blur through deep, human connection
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The Pretense of Political Debate
Grandstanding acts of persuasion restrict free speech and real learning. Just ask Socrates.
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In the Land of the Eyeless Dragons
The cave-dwelling olm is a canary in the coal mine for environmental change
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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
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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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What Makes a Word Beautiful?
It’s not what we thought -
Behold the Biggest Dinosaur Parade
What the biggest set of trackways ever discovered says about life in the Late Cretaceous -
A Rare “Fairy Lantern” Finally Comes to Light
Researchers discovered this tiny, mysterious plant species in Malaysia—now, they want to make sure it survives -
Can the US Build a Nuclear Powered Future?
After decades of sluggish growth, AI could help usher in a nuclear revival—but a major challenge remains -
Vampire Squid Genome Offers Glimpse Into Octopus Evolution
Scientists decoded the elusive creature’s genome for the first time -
ChatGPT’s Biggest Foe: Poetry
How the machines miss threats smuggled inside lines of verse -
How This Colorful Bird Inspired the Darkest Fabric
Although the plume boom is over, bird feathers still push fashion’s cutting edge -
These Bat Buddies Sound Eerily Alike
Female vampire bats start to mimic each other over time, offering an intriguing hint into intimate animal social circles -
Can You Read Pain on a Horse’s Face?
Likely not, according to science -
How to Actually Combat Economic Inequality
Put it on display -
The Secret Busy Lives of Small Icy Moons
A surprising churn of activity conducive to life may lie beneath their frigid surfaces -
These Monkeys Hint at an Evolutionary Musical Mystery
Macaques are surprisingly deft at keeping the beat to the Backstreet Boys -
Elephants’ Drone Tolerance Could Aid Conservation Efforts
The massive mammals habituate to the presence of aerial monitoring thanks to their impressive memories -
The Benefits of Social Media Detox
Could a break from the liking, following, and subscribing salve the mental health of young people? -
Mapping Children’s Meltdowns in the Brain
Unique brain activity patterns could help point to treatments for sensory overload -
The Story of Cat Domestication Just Got a Major Twist
Feline DNA findings have switched up the timing and birthplace of our furry friends -
What Cheese Mold Can Teach Us About Evolution
Love and gene disruption in a Vermont aging cave -
Forget Scarecrows and Sprays. This Tiny Falcon Keeps Cherry Crops Safe
Some Michigan farmers turn to kestrels to chase off smaller birds that eat and defile their crops -
Sharks Show How Animals Scale Like Geometric Objects
Despite their wild variety of sizes, niches, and shapes, sharks scale geometrically, pointing to possible fundamental constraints on evolution -
How Did Language Evolve?
A new biocultural perspective points the way
