The Golden Record Decoded
Voyager 1 and 2 will drift for billions of years in the emptiness carrying a Golden Records, inscribed with our message to any intelligent spacefaring civilization that discovers it.
Breakthrough: A Re-Sounding Remedy
Under the care of hearing researcher Rene Gifford, Allyson Sisler-Dinwiddie became one of the first test subjects of a new technique to improve cochlear implants, devices that use electrodes to stimulate cells in the inner ear.
The Axolotl: A Cut Above the Rest
The axolotl is a Mexican salamander with an incredible ability: Cut its leg off, and the limb will grow right back!
The Agony And Ecstasy Of Capsaicin
Marco Tizzano explains how capsaicin creates a chemical cascade inside your body and why emotions might make chili lovers think they can handle the heat.
When Eels Attack!
Electric eels zap fish and other underwater prey, but what would make them leap out of the water and shock an animal like a horse?
The Big Sort: An Insider’s Tour of a Recycling Plant
Every day at the Sims Municipal Recycling facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, roughly 800 tons of recyclables meander through a tangle of machines, scanners, and conveyor belts.
A Peek at the Possibilities of Biodesign
An air purifier filled with spider webs, a toilet insert that filters estrogen, a cactus-like water harvester—these were just a few of the ambitious and creative ideas presented at the first Biodesign Challenge, which took place on June 23, 2016.
A Shot in the Dark: Alternative Uses for Squid Ink
Stephanie Bush, a scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), suggests that squids might use ink to attract a mate, repel a predator, or even confuse their prey.
I, Octopus
With thousands of chemically-sensitive suckers, color-changing skin, and a brain that literally stretches when they eat, octopuses seem like aliens living in our oceans.
The Real Guide to Imaginary Companions: Episode 1
Developmental psychologist have pieced together an unexpectedly diverse and nuanced profile of the children who create imaginary companions, while finding out how and why they create them.