Exoplanet Atomospheres

12/02/14 How do scientists investigate exoplanet atmospheres --and what are they discovering? Mercedes Lopez-Morales

Living in Space: Artificial Gravity and Bioastronautics

01/04/21 The human body requires a gravity environment. So how do aerospace engineers plan for the colonization of space? Developing artificial gravity is a major objective. Ana Diaz Artiles

Infant Fossil Teeth: Clues to Ancient Human Development

11/13/13 Ancient infant teeth reveal the importance of weaning patterns in human evolution. Tanya Smith

The Evolution of Photosynthesis

10/19/10 How photosynthesis --and life-- emerged in Earth's ancient chemical environment. Tanja Bosak and Alexander Petroff

Living Dirt: Soil’s Microbe Ecosystems

05/10/21 Healthy soil depends on healthy microbial ecosystems. These invisible communities have a very complex relationship. Kristen DeAngelis

What to Know about Geoengineering

04/22/16 The excess CO2 in Earth's atmosphere will remain for hundreds of years. An atmospheric scientist explains the need to reduce that excess as we shift to renewable energy. Daniel Cziczo

The Struggle to Ban Pesticides That Disrupt Brain Development

07/05/22 Scientists struggled for decades to get an EPA ban on Chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide known to impair brain development. As autism, ADHD and other developmental conditions increased, vested interests blocked efforts to regulate Chlorpyrifos and other agricultural toxins. Philip Landrigan

The Opioid Crisis: Origin and Implications

05/30/23 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has aptly described the opioid crisis as the “worst drug overdose epidemic in [US] history.” How did that happen? Andrew Kolodny, M.D.

Cooler Smarter

06/28/12 A co-author of the new book from the Union of Concerned Scientists describes how individuals can substantially reduce their carbon footprints while creating a healthy lifestyle...Jeff Deyette

The Bionic Leaf: Clean Energy for All

08/02/22 A unique innovation based on photosynthesis, the bionic leaf can potentially produce energy and fuel inexpensively --and in a localized manner. Daniel Nocera

Today's Featured Contributors

Featured Author

David Mindell, Ph.D.

A leading robotics engineer and historian explains the role of robots in research and other fields today

Featured Guest

Gigliola Staffilani, PhD

A theoretical mathematician who elucidates some of the most difficult forces and patterns of Nature