An artificial cell eats, grows, and reproduces. Is it alive?
Researchers have engineered an artificial cell, hoping to build a customizable chassis for chemical production.
Even Nobel Prize winners deal with imposter syndrome
In a story from 2025, neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian discusses immigrating to the U.S., finding belonging, and pioneering touch research.
Swords, cannibalism, poison: inside the world of killer microbes
Some microbe species have evolved to stab, bomb, cannibalize, or poison each other. Can we harness their weapons for good?
A vast whale graveyard + Zombie sea cucumbers
A massive “whale graveyard” contains whale remains dating back 5 million years. Plus, some detached parts of sea cucumbers don’t seem to die.
Our evolutionary path to parenting—and sharing the load
“The Creatures’ Guide to Caring” explores how communal child-rearing allowed animals from wasps to humans to evolve and thrive.
A virus hunter in Nigeria has thoughts on the Ebola outbreak
A Nigeria-based molecular biologist breaks down the current Ebola outbreak, and what’s needed to improve disease monitoring across Africa.
Meet the drug developer taking on wildlife diseases
Chemist Tim Cernak has a wild to-do list: Cure sea turtle cancer. Save frogs from fungal diseases. Take on avian flu.
Explore the weird and wonderful ways animals sense the world
Discover the unique sensory adaptations of your favorite animals with the young readers edition of “An Immense World.”
Is that spooky old house full of ghosts, or just infrasound?
Low-frequency noises that humans can feel, but not hear, may be behind the spooky feeling of old houses—and serve as a warning to animals.
Can fossilized vomit tell you what prehistoric animals ate?
Learn how scientists study regurgitalites—fossilized vomit—to explore what prehistoric predators ate and which species shared ecosystems.