PASO ROBLES, CA - DECEMBER 22: Rescue workers survey damage while searching for survivors December 22, 2003 in Paso Robles, California. The 6.5 richter scale earthquake hit the central coast of California earlier today killing at least two people. (Photo by Rod Rolle)

Before the Quake

The West Coast may be implementing an earthquake warning system. This new technology may help ensure accuracy, minimize false positives, & save lives. 
Gravitational waves

What Are Gravitational Waves?

Einstein predicted over a hundred years ago the existence of gravitational waves. Now a team of over 1,000 scientists have confirmed their existence. 
Photograph of Charles Darwin by Maull and Polyblank for the Literary and Scientific Portrait Club (1855).

Charles Darwin In His Own Words

Some collected letters and observations from the great naturalist, Charles Darwin. 
A concept illustration of three aligned planets

There May Be a Ninth Planet (And It’s Not Pluto)

Caltech astronomer Michael Brown has proposed the existence of a ninth planet, the existence of which would explain the strange orbits of six KBOs. 
Periodic elements

The Ever-Evolving Periodic Table of Elements

Four new elements--113, 115, 117, and 118--have been added to the periodic table. But the search for new elements hasn't always been so systematic. 
Comparison of skull features of Homo naledi and other early human species.

Dear Paleoanthropology, Homo Naledi Just Shifted Your Paradigm

A new fossil human ancestor has made its way into the media spotlight, and it’s causing quite a ruckus.
Jupiter with moons, Europa and Io.

The Art of Observing Weather on Distant Planets

Exoplanetary meteorology enables scientists to determine weather patterns on planets too far for direct observation. 
Visualization of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.

General Relativity 100 Years On

Einstein's groundbreaking theory of general relativity has remained an essential hallmark of modern physics.
Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. Photo credit: Neal Peters Collection

Were Hobbits Real?

New research suggests that a distinct species, dubbed "hobbits", existed between 17,000 and 95,000 years ago.
Nebula

I ❤ Physics: A Love Story

I could not bring myself to accept string theory’s claim, often presented as a scientific fact, that there are exactly 11 dimensions.