The philosophers knew it first. “Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together,” wrote Thomas Carlyle in 1831. Since then, science has redefined the word.

The Unspoken

core/paragraph

Liz Greene is the managing editor at Nautilus.

Liz Greene

The cover of Nautilus print edition 65, featuring an illustration of people having a picnic inside a crocodile's open mouth.

General

Print Edition 65: The Food Issue

Print Edition 64

Print Edition 63: The Climates Issue

Print Edition 62

Vittoria Traverso is a freelance writer based in Italy and the U.S. who is interested in stories that can help us see the world differently.

Vittoria Traverso

If Oaks and Orchids Could Talk

Print Edition 61: The Animal Issue

Footer 1

Nav Bar

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Member-exclusive 

You've run out of free articles. Read unlimited, ad-free stories (including this one) by becoming a Member. 

Join to continue reading

Unlock this story + our newsletter, for FREE! Already a newsletter subscriber? Just click the "Log in" link above. 

Register to continue reading.

Nautilus

Kristen French is a senior editor at Nautilus. She has worked in science journalism since 2013, reporting and writing features and news for publications such as Wired, Backchannel, The Verge, and New York Magazine. She has a masters degree in science journalism from Columbia University.

Kristen French

Evolution

Psychedelics Might Not Have Evolved to Get Humans High

Devin Reese is the executive editor of Natural History and a science writer based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Devin Reese

Genetics

How an Inbred Snake Invader Took Over an Island Paradise

Alice Fleerackers is a freelance writer fascinated by psychology. She is also an assistant professor of journalism and civic engagement at the University of Amsterdam and the vice president of the Global Network for the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST).

Alice Fleerackers

History

When Stupid Was a Diagnosis

David Nield has written about science and technology for more than 20 years. His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Wired, Popular Science, The Guardian, and Gizmodo.

David Nield

Geoscience

Does This Photo from the Curiosity Rover Prove an Intense Sandstorm on Mars?

Bob Grant is the deputy editor at Nautilus.

Bob Grant

Arts

A Forgotten Literary Window Into the Personal Life of Alan Turing

Zoology

How Do Sperm Whales Keep Their Massive, Wax-Filled Heads Beneath the Waves as They Sleep?

post

Jake Currie is a writer based in Brooklyn, NY.