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Finding the Color of an Empire

What a particular shade of black can teach us about an ancient civilization.

Welcome to The Porthole

Short sharp looks at science.

June 1, 2023

Saturn’s Rings Could Be Younger Than Flowers

We’re lucky that a relatively recent catastrophe created the gas-giant spectacle.

May 31, 2023

The Mystery of the Largest Light in the Sea

This giant squid has the world’s biggest light-producing organs. But why?

May 31, 2023

Who Should Make the Rules That Govern AI?

One question for Laura Weidinger and Iason Gabriel, research scientists at Google DeepMind.

May 29, 2023

Global Warming Could Make Some Fish Less Nutritious

The nutrient composition of ocean life is changing.

May 26, 2023

A Conversation with Animal Rights Pioneer Peter Singer

"Animal Liberation" is nearly 50 years old. What have we learned?

May 25, 2023

Do Animals Get Drunk?

Why evolving a taste for getting tipsy could prove adaptive.

May 24, 2023

The Longevity Skeptic

This biochemist calls BS on extending human lifespan. Is he right?

May 23, 2023

Why Scientists Need to Get High

Psychoactive drugs have long been hailed as miracle cures. But you can only understand the paths they blaze through the mind if you’ve traveled them.

May 23, 2023

Why Do People Believe the Earth Is Flat?

One question for José Arroyo-Barrigüete, an economist at Comillas Pontifical University in Spain.

May 22, 2023

What an Oyster Hears

Listening for the sounds of coastal restoration.

May 19, 2023