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‘Fire Amoeba’ Likes It Hot, And A Faraway Lava Planet
A newly identified amoeba can survive at the temperature of a medium-well steak. Plus, a distant lava planet shows signs of an atmosphere.
What’s The Reality Behind The Humanoid Robot Hype?
Humanoid robots are all over social media, doing everything from dancing to serving drinks. But are they really going to show up in our lives?
‘Just’ A Blue Jay? Don’t Overlook These Magnificent Common Birds
This Christmas Bird Count, we salute the fabulous, underappreciated, common species. Here’s to you, house sparrow.
Can We Just Throw Our Plastic Garbage Into A Volcano?
A volcanologist answers your questions about glass-shard hairballs, cooking breakfast over lava, Gollum’s end on Mount Doom, and more.
How Did Ancient Humans Use The Acoustics Of Spaces Like Caves?
What did a vulture-bone flute sound like inside a cave? How about singing inside a tomb? Researchers are bringing ancient sounds back to life.
What The Sounds Of Melting Glaciers Can Tell Us
A glacier’s edge can be a dangerous place to do research. This team is using robots and sound samples to monitor the melting ice.
How A Fringe Idea Led To Lifesaving Cancer Treatments
Over the past century, most cancer research has focused on the tumor itself. Rakesh Jain focused on the tumor’s environment instead.
Why Is Bubonic Plague Still With Us?
When cases of plague pop up in the US, it can feel straight up medieval. It’s treatable, but how and why does it persist?
Don’t Let Their Name Fool You—Sea Slugs Are Awesome
Across their 10,000 species, sea slugs sport striking colors, external gills, and even the ability to regrow a body from a severed head.
‘Prehistoric Planet’ Defrosts Strange Animals Of The Ice Age
The nature documentary series uses new research and photorealistic CGI to bring the huge, bizarre animals of the Ice Age back to life.