The Hidden History of Biology Textbooks
American biology textbooks supposedly became less scientific after the Scopes trial. One scholar argues that this isn't the whole story.
The Permanent Crisis of Infrastructure
Ever since it entered public consciousness in the 1980s, infrastructure has been synonymous with decline.
Space Medicine for the Inexperienced Astronaut
The promise of commercial spaceflight raises questions about how untrained travelers will endure the extreme hostility of space.
How Do Scientists Define a Heat Wave?
It seems that every summer brings record temperatures. But there's more to a heat wave than daytime highs.
How to Increase Diversity in Community Science Projects
There's often a disconnect between the ambitions of scientists engaging the public and the potential participants themselves.
Chien-Shiung Wu, the First Lady of Physics
Chien-Shiung Wu disproved a fundamental law of physics—a stunning achievement that helped earn her male colleagues (but not her) a Nobel Prize.
Wait, There’s Noise Pollution at the Bottom of the Ocean?
Anthropogenic sounds have made it all the way down into the deepest place on Earth—Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench.
How Charles Keeling Measured the Rise of Carbon Dioxide
The climate scientist created a new method to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide. It's still used today.
Could Negentropy Help Your Life Run Smoother?
In physics, entropy is the process of a system losing energy and dissolving into chaos. This applies to social systems in everyday life, too.