Ghosts on the Shore

In Japan, ghost stories are not to be scoffed at, but provide deep insights into the fuzzy boundary between life and death.

Aretha Franklin

My favorite.

Scientists Calculate the Speed of Death in Cells

 It’s surprisingly slow.

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.

This Will Help You Grasp the Sizes of Things in the Universe

Caleb Scharf’s latest book, The Zoomable Universe.

The Super Bowl of Beekeeping

Almond growing in California  wouldn’t be possible without 30 billion bees — and whose very existence is in peril.

A Visit to Tuvalu, Surrounded by the Rising Pacific

Don’t think I’ll get there in time...

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.