The Incredible Unsung Karst Ecosystem
One of the world’s most incredible, yet unsung, ecosystems, karsts are home to a remarkable biological diversity.
The Agonizing Death of the Aral Sea
After decades of environmental disaster, fish and wildlife may rebound to Central Asia's Aral Sea, but the lake will never be restored to its former glory.
How Should We Deal With Plastic Bags?
A proposed 5-cent plastic bag fee was just blocked in New York City. What can be done to effectively reduce plastic bag use?
Venom’s Healing Touch
Venom kills thousands every year, but research is showing that venom can heal as well. Venom works in a way that most drugs can only dream of.
Meet Alan Emtage, the Black Technologist Who Invented ARCHIE, the First Internet Search Engine
Internet search has had a profound impact on our own internal makeup—on how we learn, and how we think.
The World’s Cutest Mammal on the Brink
The Ili Piku, aka "Magic Rabbit," of China is endangered. But Pika populations are declining globally, not just in China.
The Secret Ingredient For Better Self-Care
One form of preventative medicine that is important, and which health policy barely considers: social connections between people.
The Doomsday Clock: Menacing Metaphor of the Nuclear Age
Pessimism is on the rise. Mercurial politicians, rising nationalism and isolationism, international bluster, a changing climate, mass protests, ...
Why Does Menopause Exist?
What is the point of menopause? Evolutionarily speaking, why do female humans go through menopause and then live for many more decades?
The Weird Fairy Circles of Namibia
The deserts of Namibia are dotted with odd circular bare patches, ringed by the dry desert grasses. They're called "fairy circles." It’s a desert whodunit.