All Articles
Why We Need Court Jesters in Space
Behavioral scientists explain why Mars missions need humor.
The Mushroom’s Small Stature and Subtle Strength
A microbial ecologist reflects on Sylvia Plath’s “Mushrooms.”
Why Most Planets Will Either Be Lush or Dead
The Gaia hypothesis implies that once alien life takes hold, it will flourish.
When We Were the Cosmos
The director of the Griffith Observatory revisits the dawn of astronomy.
The Spirit of the Inquisition Lives in Science
What a 16th-century scientist can tell us about the fate of a physicist like David Bohm.
Rapid Oxygen Changes Fueled an Explosion in Ancient Animal Diversity
Skyrocketing animal diversity a half-billion years ago was linked to spikes and dips in marine oxygen levels, according to a detailed geological study.
As Planet Discoveries Pile Up, a Gap Appears in the Pattern
Astronomers are puzzling over a paucity of planets in the galaxy measuring between 1.5 and two times Earth’s size.






