Should We Go to Mars? Carl Sagan Had Thoughts
It'd be "a step more significant than the colonization of land by our amphibian ancestors some 500 million years ago." But Sagan had reservations.
Scientists Find Clues to the Mysteries of an Ocean Reef
Beyond the tropical waters of the island nation of Palau lies the Ngaraard Pinnacle, a much rarer kind of reef than its colorful coral cousin.
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.