Environment
Beneath the Ocean, a World of Mountains
Scientists don’t even know how many seamounts there are—but the few they’ve explored are extraordinary.
Why Are Plants Green? To Reduce the Noise in Photosynthesis.
Plants ignore the most energy-rich part of sunlight because stability matters more than efficiency, according to a new model of photosynthesis.
Dolphins Are Helping Us Hunt for Aliens
Researchers look to dolphins as a model for alien intelligence.
The Idea of Entropy Has Led Us Astray
Let’s stop hustling as if the world is running toward disorder.
Uncovering the Spark of Life
What finding life on Mars could tell us about our own origins.
Why Our Intuition About Sea-Level Rise Is Wrong
A geologist explains that climate change is not just about a global average sea rise.
The Secret History of the Supernova at the Bottom of the Sea
How a star explosion may have shaped life on Earth.
In Search of Life’s Smoking Gun
A journey to the underwater volcanoes where life may have erupted.
The Hidden Life of Viruses
The COVID-19 crisis has made the dark energy of evolution visible.
The Man Who Delayed D-Day
The eminent oceanographer Walter Munk reflects on science and war.
Guided by Plant Voices
Plants talk to this ecologist. They tell her how to do better science.
