These Ancient Sea Worms Have “Biometal” Jaws
Not as scary as a great white shark, but the science is fascinating
Rec League Sports May be Better at Building Strong Bones Than Weightlifting
Higher intensity physical activities like handball and soccer boost biomarkers for bone formation
The Virtue of Being Simple
A surprising number of creatures don’t benefit from greater intelligence
What Do People Think About?
Sex barely made the list. Coffee and cats fared better.
Omniscient Tree Networks and Immortal Amoebas: 9 Books We’re Excited to Read This August
The Nautilus monthly reading list
Latest Stories
Check Out Rare Images of Borneo’s “Ghosts of the Forest”
The Sunda clouded leopard proves elusive even when there are camera traps aimed at finding them
An Explosion of Feces May Have Triggered Earth’s Explosion of Species
The nutrients found in animal excrement should never be discounted
Read Stories from Our Newest Print Issue: The Stupid Issue
See moreWhy We Think We Know More Than We Do
Breaking down the famous “Dunning-Kruger effect” with David Dunning himself
When Stupid Was a Diagnosis
A dark history that is in danger of returning as support for people with disabilities withers
Why Are We Using Machines to Study Our Inner Lives?
Increasingly scientists are testing chatbots rather than humans in experiments
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Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the brightest living thinkers.
Astronomy
See more AstronomyNASA Just Spotted a Wandering Black Hole Devouring a Star
Black holes sometimes make a break for it
Curiosity Rover Finds “Sea of Polygons” on Martian Surface
It’s not the first time the robot has found interesting patterns on the red planet
This Time-Lapse Video from the Psyche Spacecraft Shows Mars As You’ve Never Seen It Before
Just a passing visit, but a dramatic one
History
See more HistoryHow Hannibal’s War Elephants Helped to Determine His Route Through the Alps
When you go into battle with nearly 40 gigantic pachyderms, you need to take the shortest path possible
The Rabies Vaccine Debuted Nearly 150 Years Ago Today
Pioneering microbiologist Louis Pasteur helped save the life of a dog-bitten boy
This Was a Big Week for Marie Curie, More Than 120 Years Ago
Despite steep odds, she became the first woman in France to earn a doctorate in science
Psychology
See more PsychologyBetter Posture Linked to Better Decision Making and Mood
Sitting upright can influence your mind
More Testosterone Won’t Make a Better Soldier or a Tougher Man—Aggression and Strength Drive T Levels, Not the Other Way Around
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is requiring service members to screen for low testosterone levels. Ironically, the military lifestyle itself is more likely to lower T levels.
Even Owning a Cell Phone Is Bad for Kids’ Test Scores
New research hints that school cell phone bans may not be enough
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Environment
See more Environment
A “Hellish Cloud” Descended on Los Angeles in 1943
It marked the city's first smog incident. Here’s what it looked like—back then and over the years that followed.
It Was a Record-Breaking Year for Dust Storms
The worst since the Dust Bowl in some places
Zoology
See more ZoologyWhich Fish Species Will Invade the Mediterranean Next?
The features of fish that have passed through the Suez Canal provide clues
For the First Time, a Look at the Arctic Bobtail Squid in Its Natural Habitat
It’s cold down there, but life finds a way
Koalas Are Getting a Vaccine to Help With Their STD Problem
It’s a key step in saving them from extinction
Philosophy
See more PhilosophyWhat 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.
The Inventor of the Thinking Machine Didn’t Worry. Neither Should You
In this age of AI anxiety, listen to your heart
Less Protein, Not More, May Lead to Healthier Aging
A new review takes a closer look at the molecular mechanisms
Read more
See all postsHow Dreaming Drains Your Energy
The brain makes its bed long before we dream, and the neurons don’t call all the shots
This Ichthyosaur Chomped a Pterosaur—Then Got Chomped by Something Bigger
Sometimes you’re the predator, sometimes you’re the prey
You’re Carrying “Ghost DNA” From Extinct Hominins
A new technique reveals human evolution was rife with interbreeding
The Bizarre Life Cycle of “Zombie-Ant” Fungus Gets a New Twist
The fungal puppet master has been living a secret life
High Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women Is Rising Across the Country
For women of every race, age, and size
Microfossils Help Crack Mystery More Than 100 Million Years in the Making
Almost all of these tiny organisms vanished way back in the early Cretaceous period
The Odyssey of the Stone Age Maltese
New research points to a seafaring people who ranged far and wide
Did Ancient Humans Prefer Hunting Female Mammoths?
Female or not, mammoths were definitely key to their survival
