-
When a Million-Acre National Park Becomes a Classroom
Hands-on fieldwork, cutting-edge science, and baboons who steal your lunch.
-
The Sneaky Force Behind Our Sun’s Violent Outbursts
A strange discovery from flying close to the sun.
-
Alan Turing and the Power of Negative Thinking
Mathematical proofs based on a technique called diagonalization can be relentlessly contrarian, but they help reveal the limits of algorithms.
The Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
-
A Little Bit of Science Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing
You might not know as much about science as you think.
-
How to Learn Without a Brain
Tiny box jellyfish are brainless—but they still make memories and adapt.
-
A New Way to Make Cells from Scratch
How scientists are engineering synthetic cells to be more life-like.
Get The Best Of Nautilus. Become A Prime Member Today.
Subscribe-
The Faulty Weathermen of the Mind
Could a theory from the science of perception help crack the mysteries of psychosis?
-
The Psychopathic Path to Success
Turns out there can be a positive side to the psychopathic traits that may lurk inside all of us.
-
Why Ships Kill Thousands of Whales Every Year
An interview with the documentary filmmaker who has spotlighted the deadly ocean collisions.
-
Why Are Marine Mammals Losing Their Hair?
Spikes in alopecia puzzle scientists—and may be a symptom of ecological disruption.
-
The Secret Life of Deep Sea Vents
An expedition to find rare hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Mid-Atlantic uncovers new worlds—and some daredevil shrimp.
-
Seahorse Love Works in Mysterious Ways
Seahorses don’t care if there’s plenty other fish in the sea.
-
Salt Taste Is Surprisingly Mysterious
Too much sodium is bad, but so is too little—no wonder the body has two sensing mechanisms.
-
Have We Gotten Dark Matter All Wrong?
Physicists have yet to pinpoint the hypothetical matter that keeps galaxies from flying apart. Now they have a new focus.
-
The Day Oppenheimer Feared He Might Blow Up the World
The story behind the scare that an atomic bomb would ignite the atmosphere into a fireball.
-
Probing the Mysteries of Neutron Stars With a Surprising Earthly Analog
Ultracold gases in the lab could help scientists better understand the universe.
-
Fire on the Savanna
Our writer joins researchers in Mozambique to uncover how fire shapes Africa’s grand wilderness.
-
What Is a Beautiful Experiment?
Finding beauty in science is timeless. But we shouldn’t let it blind us.
-
The “Tortured Artist” Inside All Of Us
A conversation with issue 51 cover artist Jennifer Bruce.
-
Where the Wild Bees Are
San Diego is a biodiversity hotspot for bees. Researchers need help documenting them.
-
Pandas Feel “SAD” Too
Many animals suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Scientists are just figuring out what that means.
-
What Will Justice for Climate Change Culprits Look Like?
A new novel grapples with vengeance toward global warming’s worst offenders.
-
You’re More of a Climate Skeptic Than You Think
Here’s how psychology can help fix that. (It’s easier than you’d guess.)
-
The Case Against Cooking with Gas
New evidence suggests electric stoves are better for people and the planet.
-
Should You Ditch Your Eco-Friendly Drinking Straw?
Some of them contain materials that are harmful to human health.
-
The Wisdom of a Brainless Robot
How a soft-bodied machine uses physical intelligence to navigate.
-
Can We Stop Time in the Body?
Inside the “out there” quest for a drug that would help doctors save lives before it’s too late.
-
What the Earth Knows
How understanding Earth’s deep past can lead us into our radically altered future.
-
Pick Up Your Dog’s Poop or Else!
Science is coming after people who don’t give a @#$% about sidewalks.
-
The Paradox of the Radioactive Boars
Scientists solve a long-standing mystery in Bavaria.
-
A New Look at One of the Oldest Weapons
What a 300,000-year-old throwing stick reveals about our near-human ancestors.
-
Risky Giant Steps Can Solve Optimization Problems Faster
New results break with decades of conventional wisdom for the gradient descent algorithm.
