Your Smartwatch May Not be as Smart as You Think it is
They’re great at telling time, though
Can Nature Benefit You If You’re Already Well?
A conversation with a neuroscientist about how nature can fortify the strong and support resilience
Chimps Have Accents, Too
And they could shed light on our own language acquisition
The Extinct “American Cheetah” Wasn’t a Cheetah After All
And, unlike African cheetahs, it was a flexible carnivore
Astronomers Spot a Strange Atmospheric Wave Above Saturn’s South Pole
And it could stick around for decades
Latest Stories
Read Stories from Our Newest Print Issue: The Stupid Issue
See moreThe 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 Astronomy
The First Moon Spaceport Is Coming. But First We’ll Need Moon Traffic Control
If we don’t manage air traffic well, we risk spacecraft being sent way off course—without the rocket fuel necessary to get back
NASA Has Begun the Countdown to the Launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
The new space telescope will help astronomers unravel the mysteries of the universe
History
See more History40 Years Ago, Oceanographers Found the Wreckage of the RMS Titanic
The maritime disaster of 1912 wasn’t fully understood until the shipwreck was rediscovered
This Viking Dress Survived for 1,300 Years, Protected by Its Metal Ornaments
Such delicate textiles typically decompose within a few years
An Expert Pieced Together This Roman Document Like a Jigsaw Puzzle. You’ll Never Guess What It’s About
Classics researchers think it was part of a reference booklet traveling officials carried with them
Psychology
See more PsychologyEnvy at the Ballot Box
Majority voting may make us less willing to tolerate advantages for others
I’m Part of the Team Writing the Next Bible of Psychiatry—For the First Time, the DSM Will Use Biology to Understand Mental Disorders
Part of the challenge of finding a biomarker for mental illness is the environment’s significant influence
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Environment
See more EnvironmentThis Is What Happens When 1,000 People Bury Their Underwear for Science
Talk about getting to the bottom of things
How Much of a Problem is AI’s Water Use?
It depends. Though water consumption by data centers pales in comparison to that of some other industries, it’s a problem in water-stressed regions. Water-saving cooling technologies could help
How the Heat is Messing with Your Sleep
Restless nights may be the new normal as the globe cooks
Zoology
See more Zoology
Why Do Male Chimpanzees Throw Rocks at the Same Trees for More Than a Decade?
Accumulative stone throwing is a rare, potentially cultural, behavior that has been observed among four groups of wild chimpanzees in West Africa
The Extinct Tasmanian Tiger’s Bite Was Unlike Any Other Predatory Mammal’s
Which makes its extinction even more tragic
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
30 Minutes of Exercise Can Boost Your Task-Switching Efficiency
A brisk walk could reduce the cognitive cost of changing gears
Read more
See all postsThe Secret of Chronic Pain Could Lie in the Skull
Skull bone marrow has become an exciting research topic
How Your Genes Shape Your Personality
A new study probes genetic variants linked to the big five personality traits
New Heart Attack Definitions Could Lead to Better Care for Women
Uncommon heart attack causes disproportionately affect them
Your Organs Age at Different Paces—And They’re Coordinating With Each Other
Your colon and prostate may have synchronized their watches
Schizophrenia’s Cruel Roulette Wheel
Genetics and stress can combine in ways we don’t yet fully understand
Your Ability to Cope with Stress Changes with the Seasons and Your Own Biological Clocks
Stress resilience is a dynamic balance rather than a fixed trait
