Retro circle pattern

How Two Rebel Physicists Changed Quantum Theory

David Bohm and Hugh Everett were once ostracized for challenging the dominant thinking in physics. Now, science accepts their ideas, which are said to enrich our understanding of the universe.
The OmegaCAM imager on ESO’s VLT Survey Telescope has captured this glittering view of the stellar nursery called Sharpless 29. Many astronomical phenomena can be seen in this giant image, including cosmic dust and gas clouds that reflect, absorb, and re-emit the light of hot young stars within the nebula.

How the Universe Forges Stars from Cosmic Clouds

A deep dive into the chaotic journey of star formation.
MeerKAT telescopes

MeerKAT: The South African Radio Telescope That’s Transformed Our Understanding of the Cosmos

MeerKAT has emerged as a beacon of innovation and opportunity on the African continent.
Illustration of a time when the Earth was being formed, known as the Hadean Period.

Crucial Building Blocks of Life on Earth Can More Easily Form in Outer Space

A special group of molecules, known as peptides, can form more easily under the conditions of space than those found on Earth.
Looking northwards in the Isle of Skye Scotland

Surprising Discovery Challenges Key Principle of Modern Cosmology

Observations of an enormous cosmic structure, dubbed the "Big Ring," seem to violate the Copernican principle.
Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin and His Correspondents: A Lifetime of Letters

An epistolary network was critical for Darwin’s work, allowing him to obtain new information while sparking fresh ideas in his correspondents’ minds.
Hesperornis on the shoreline.

A Brief Guide to Birdwatching in the Age of Dinosaurs

Archaeopteryx and Hesperornis should be on the lists of any dino bird watcher.
A photograph from the Mars Perseverance rover, 2021

NASA’s Search for Life on Mars

It’s a rocky road for its rovers, a long slog for scientists—and back on Earth, a battle of the budget.
Mount Okmok, Alaska

Beware the Volcanoes of Alaska (and Elsewhere)

The 43 BCE eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano created the (cold) climate context for the fall of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire.
An illustration of Spaghettification from NASA's Imagine the Universe!

“Spaghettification”: How Black Holes Stretch Objects into Oblivion

Want to avoid getting “spaghettified” by a black hole? Steer clear of the smaller ones.