This Bizarre Jurassic “Squid” Swam the Ancient Seas of Wyoming
And likely gobbled up its smaller cephalopod relatives for lunch
How a Sick Chicken Revolutionized Cancer Research
And the story of the man responsible
Can You Recognize the Subject of This Year’s Microscopic Photography Contest Winner?
The Nikon Small World contest shows off objects and animals as you’ve never seen them before
Ketamine’s Role in Alleged Cornell Rape Highlights Flood of Psychoactive Drugs on Campus
Ketamine and many other psychoactive substances can’t be detected by most standard drug screens, so it’s unclear how often they play a role in sexual assault.
Our Planet’s Lungs Are Suffering
Has the Amazon reached the dreaded tipping point?
Latest Stories
Your Cells Keep a Record of Every Workout You’ve Ever Done
And those gains persist even after a break from exercise
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 AstronomyDead Star Offers a Glimpse Into Our Solar System’s Future
A ring of debris hints at planetary survivors
Cloudy With a Chance of Incineration: Predicting Weather on Distant Worlds
How scientists decode climate light-years away
This Dark Spot on the Moon Might Be a Giant Lunar Cave
NASA wants to explore it—perhaps as a potential moon base?
History
See more History
This Is the Oldest Peace Treaty Ever Discovered
Maybe there are a few things we can still learn from it
Psychology
See more PsychologyWhat Can We Learn About Happiness From the People Who Study It?
Happiness pioneers recently gathered to discuss the good life
Inside the Mind of a Narcissist
Their brains don’t sync the same way when it comes to processing empathy
Forensic Facial Specialists Can Identify People Using Just a Couple Facial Features
Your furrowed brow may be betraying you
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Environment
See more Environment
The World’s Largest Penguin Colony Suffers Catastrophic Loss
Something is amiss in Antarctica
This Giant Waterlily Species Was Discovered Via Instagram
They can grow to more than 6 feet in diameter
Zoology
See more ZoologyVultures Help Eliminate Pathogens. Bird Flu Could Eliminate Them
Dwindling vulture populations are locked in a fight for their lives
When Frog Eyes Are Like Fingerprints
The eyes of egg-eating spiny-backed frogs certainly make an impression
Philosophy
See more PhilosophyThe Quest for Wisdom in Turbulent Times
A conversation with three Harvard professors about the practice of wisdom in everyday living
Could 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
Behold a Prehistoric Lizard Tail Trapped in Amber
Proof the defense tactic has been used for at least 99 million years
Read more
See all postsForgotten Coding Queens, Telephones Untangled, and a Poisonous Quest: 8 Books We’re Excited to Read This November
The Nautilus monthly reading list
This Prehistoric Creature is the Only Ocean-Dwelling Amphibian Ever Discovered
It lived in the Triassic muck on the seafloor
There’s a New, International Food Pyramid in Town
It’s based on research into dietary guidelines from around the world
The Teenage Girl Who Remembers Everything
A conversation with a scientist about a 16-year-old who has highly superior autobiographical memory
When Texas Bat “Cities” Look Like Thunderstorms
Weather apps generally modify their default settings to remove such scenes from Doppler radarviews. Otherwise, live-feed watchers would think a torrential downpour is imminent
Spike-Thumbed Dino Discovered in the United Kingdom
The swamp-dwelling iguanodon relative may have been dinner for spinosaurs
