Issue_108
19 articles-
A Close Encounter with a Flame-Bright Egyptian Vulture
On a bright March morning as wildlife photographer Oriol Alamany tucked into breakfast on the island of Socotra, an Egyptian vulture landed on a nearby rock. Caught without proper equipment, Alamany crawled across the ground to photograph the bird from below at close range with a small camera he kept in his pocket. The vulture […] -
NASA Is on the Cusp of a New Era
A planetary scientist explains why SpaceX’s Starship will transform her field. -
Torn Muscle? Hold the Drugs or Surgery—Massage May Be the Best Medicine
If you’re an athlete—even a very occasional one—odds are you’ve dealt with a muscle injury at some point. After all, muscle injuries account for 10 to 55 percent of sports traumas. Often they’re just a nuisance—say, a minor strain that takes you a couple days to get back on your feet. But severely injured muscles, […] -
All the Biomass on Earth
Our planet supports 8.7 million species. Here’s how they break down. -
Why AI Needs a Genome
AI could learn and adapt like humans with algorithms that work like genes.
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What Industrial Societies Get Wrong About Childhood
Age-based classes are not the only way to learn—and may not be the most effective.
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Fantastic Beasts Brought to Life by the Wind
An artist’s moving tribute to nature’s powerful resource.
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What You’re Doing Right Now Is Proof of Quantum Theory
Running a computer underscores how quantum physics is remaking our world.
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Ignorance: How It Drives Science, a New Podcast
In this premier episode, the hosts ask astronomer Jill Tarter who or what’s out there.
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It’s Not Irrational to Party Like It’s 1999
Contrary to what the philosopher said, passion can be a slave to reason. -
Steven Pinker Has His Reasons
The psychologist unpacks rationality and denies being a guru to the capitalist elite. -
Who Said Science and Art Were Two Cultures?
Revisiting C.P. Snow’s infamous thesis. -
Did Cars Rescue Our Cities From Horses?
Debating a modern parable about waste and technology. -
This Is Some Good Shit
How the sewage plant in our nation’s capital spins human poop into fertilizer gold.