Thursday 16 August 2018

How Scientists Discovered Extra Steps in Evolution


In Darwin’s theory, parents pass traits down to their children and the best survive. It was a more complicated process.


Monday 13 August 2018

Why a Belgian Sourdough Librarian Flew to Canada for Yeast

What brought the director of a Belgian sourdough library to the Yukon? Century-old sourdough starters and a community whose history is singularly tied to an ancient form of bread-making.


Robot says: Whatever

What stands in the way of all-powerful AI isn’t a lack of smarts: it’s that computers can’t have needs, cravings or desires.


Taking the Pulse of the Planet


To study how climate change is affecting the earth’s biological rhythms, scientists draw on everything from satellite imagery to Henry David Thoreau.


We Are Exceeding Earth’s Carrying Capacity

The co-founder of the Breakthrough Institute has a cheery vision of the future. If only that vision were plausible.


It’s Easier to Leave the Solar System Than to Reach the Sun

The center of the solar system is a tricky destination, but NASA is going.


In Sudan, Rediscovering Ancient Nubia Before It’s Too Late


Long ignored by white archaeologists as a mere footnote, modern scientists are now racing to document what’s left of the ancient African civilization.