All Science
Chasing darkness: One reporter's journey into the nightIllumination has come to signify societal progress. But some communities are starting to find new value in darkness.聽On this darkest night of the year, our reporter reflects on a quest to find true darkness 鈥� and to restore her connection to the cosmos.
How early people conquered the 鈥楻oof of the World鈥�What does it mean to be human? Our species has set itself apart by colonizing the farthest reaches of the globe. A discovery of 30,000-year-old stone tools on the Tibetan Plateau underscores our adaptability.
First LookChina orders medical team to stop gene-editing projectResearcher He Jiankui claims to have altered the DNA of twin girls born earlier this month, a move that many scientists condemned as premature.聽On Nov. 29, China ordered Mr. He's team to stop its gene-editing experiment, with a top official calling the project "shocking and unacceptable."聽
First LookAs spacecraft nears Mars, NASA scientists hold their breathOn Nov. 26, the Insight lander is scheduled to touch down on Mars.聽NASA last attempted a Mars landing 鈥� full of risks, tricky conditions, and delayed communication 鈥� six years ago. If it goes smoothly, the spacecraft will spend two years gathering data on the red planet.聽
Convection: Currents you can seeConvection, the transfer of heat via the movement of fluids, is one of the major processes that drive the weather. But if you want to visualize how it works, you might want to try using water instead of air.
Open SESAME: Jordan鈥檚 particle accelerator breaks down atoms 鈥� and barriersThe Middle East is often portrayed as a region locked in perpetual turmoil. But聽in the foothills of western Jordan, scientists from all over the region are setting aside national politics to work together.
Galactic collision ripples across eons to shape our view of the cosmosLooking up at the heavens from below, it can be easy to think of the universe as a fixed constellation of stars. But, as a new study illustrates this week, the cosmos is ever changing 鈥� as is our understanding.
Why tsunamis are so difficult to predictIn the wake of Indonesia's devastating tsunami, questions have arisen about what could more have been done to save lives. But natural disaster detection and preparedness takes more than technological know-how.
First LookDisinterred and flown home: the remains of lost US soldiers increasingly identifiedThrough advances in technology and new government funding, more and more remains of soldiers killed since World War II are being identified. The process is bringing closure to families who have been wondering for more than 70 years what happened to their loved ones.聽
Science NotebookFinally, women see some science recognitionThe 2018 Nobel Prize will forever stand as a historic marker in the evolution of scientific recognition.
Wild Sound: A Q & A with Laura KrantzVeteran broadcast journalist Laura Krantz is the creator of聽鈥淲ild Thing,鈥澛燼 nine-episode podcast about Bigfoot and the people who search for him.聽
Bigfoot and beyond: Why tales of wild men endureStories of an elusive, hirsute man-ape are not limited to the Himalayas and the Pacific Northwest. What is it about the idea of an untamed version of ourselves that resonates so deeply?
Can tourism propel space exploration to new heights?A ticket to the moon may seem like the ultimate billionaire's indulgence. But space tourism just might broaden horizons in space for us all.
First LookJapanese billionaire will invite 'creatives' on first private moon flightElon Musk announced that billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be on board for SpaceX's first private moon flight in 2023. Mr. Maezawa plans to invite artists, architects, and designers to travel with him as his guests in order to create a work of art that reflects the experience.聽
At the Ig Nobel Prize awards, science meets sillinessAn annual tongue-in-cheek awards ceremony at Harvard highlights the importance of play, lateral thinking, and outright frivolity in the natural sciences.
Water: An in-depth look at the surfaceChildren love to play with water. But water can also be a great medium to explore scientific concepts. This series of experiments delves into the properties of surface tension.
Polymers: Turning milk into plasticPlastics are present in nearly every aspect of children's lives. This experiment offers children a window into the history of plastics as well as a chance to observe chemical reactions.
Chronostasis: Make time freezeFew things are as constant as the passage of time. But with this simple experiment, children can see first hand how their mind can alter their perceptions of time.
Balloon rockets bring spaceflight physics homeRocket science is often used as shorthand for something nearly impossible to comprehend. This experiment uses ordinary household objects to demonstrate basic principles of space flight.聽
Supercool: Freeze water in secondsWater is the most abundant compound on Earth. But even mundane materials can sometimes behave in unexpected ways.