What urban design tells us about democracy
Archaeologists can use the design of ancient temples, plazas, and cities to piece together the story of how a place was governed.
Listening for the cosmic ‘dark ages,’ from the lunar far side
The LuSEE-Night mission would place a small radio telescope on the far side of the moon to listen for signals of the cosmic “dark ages.”
How do you describe nature? Two poets help us
For Earth Day, we wanted to know how to best put our feelings about nature into words. Two poets help us out.
The lucky breaks that make our Earth home
An astrophysicist explores all that it took for life to exist on Earth, from the formation of stars to self-organizing molecules.
Recovering critical minerals from waste + Plug-in solar expands
Extracting critical minerals from mining waste could ease global demand. Plus, states are moving to allow “plug-in solar” systems on homes.
How New Jersey tamped down PFAS in drinking water
In 2018, New Jersey began limiting PFAS “forever chemicals” in drinking water. Levels of the regulated chemicals have dropped as much as 55%.
How a particle accelerator illuminated 56 human organs
The Human Organ Atlas gives an extremely detailed look at 56 human organs, scanned with the help of a particle accelerator.
Simone Giertz’s journey from robot comedy to high-end design
Inventor Simone Giertz rose to YouTube fame with comically bad robots. Now she designs comically useful objects for our very normal problems.
When a dolphin whistles, what does it mean?
Recordings from a decades-long research project in Florida are helping scientists decode the complexity of dolphin whistles.
Inside the lives of astronauts’ families
Tracy Scott’s dad walked on the moon. Now, as a sociologist, she studies the lives and families of other Apollo-era astronauts.