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Why it’s so hard to tell the age of a fungus
One of the world’s largest organisms is an Oregon fungus thought to be over 8,000 years old. But what does age mean to a fungus, anyway?
The power of the stories we tell about the ocean
The ocean is in trouble. But the sea has a hold on us, and the stories we tell about it are helping turn the tide.
Using genetics to restore the American chestnut
In a conversation from February, how genetic research could speed up the restoration of the American chestnut tree.
AI is everywhere in healthcare now. Doctors are conflicted
Medical AI tools are transcribing patient visits, responding to doctors’ questions, and analyzing scans. What are the benefits—and the risks?
Is there science behind the ‘nervous system reset’?
In March 2026, we explored the science behind the much-hyped idea that you can “reset” your nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve.
What should astronauts do first when they reach Mars?
Our January 2026 conversation about the goals for a crewed mission to Mars. Plus, updates on NASA’s mission to survey the asteroid Psyche.
How much worse was that storm because of climate change?
We know that climate change causes weather to be more extreme, more often. Attribution science tries to nail down exactly by how much.
How GPS shaped our world
How GPS transformed from a niche military technology to one we rely on every day.
Could we live in a dinosaur world?
If you got sucked back to dino times, you might get snacked on by a giant meat-eater. But what other dangers would you face?
What are the mysterious ‘little red dots’ in images of space?
Little red dots appear all over images from the James Webb Space Telescope. They may belong to a new cosmic category called black hole stars.