Anza Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers,CA

When the Desert Blooms

Following a winter of exceptional rain, Southern California's desert wildflowers have bloomed en masse. The event is dubbed a “super bloom.”
Frog in water

Why Did the Amphibian Cross the Road?

Why are frogs so much more at risk of getting hit by cars in the spring time? It has to do with breeding, timing, and water.
Ada Yonath

Six Women in Science You Should Know

Six female scientists—historical and contemporary—who don’t have much name recognition but who have done important, interesting work.
DNA genetic analysis results

A New Kind of DNA Evidence

Should familial DNA be used in forensic investigations? How it works -- and some of the potential problems with the practice.
Gypsum crystals of the Naica cave.

Exploring Mexico’s Otherworldly Cave of Crystals

The Cave of Crystals is a massive cavern, filled with gigantic gypsum crystals, larger than any crystals ever before seen on Earth.
Dallas JR

Did the Internet Kill the TV Cliffhanger?

The internet may have changed the concept of the television cliffhanger, but is it possible that knowing the ending of something increases our enjoyment?
big pharma

How Did Big Pharma Get Big?

One branch of the healthcare industry that receives particular opprobrium for its high costs in America compared to other countries is pharmaceuticals.
Lister spraying phenol over the wound while the doctors perform an operation.

Joseph Lister’s Antiseptic Revolution

Joseph Lister's landmark articles on antiseptic surgery in the Lancet were published 150 years ago. The revolution was not immediate.
Iditarod dogs

Breaking Trail at the Iditarod, Alaska’s 1,000-Mile Dog Sled Race

Each year, Alaska hosts a 1,000-mile-long dog sled race called the Iditarod. Its founder, Joe Redington, Sr., deserves credit for preserving the sport.
Glacier National Park

How Global Warming Is Threatening Genetic Diversity

The meltwater stonefly, an insect on the leading edge of climate change, is in danger because its frigid mountain habitat is rapidly disappearing.