Women’s Fight for Scientific Fieldwork
How did women scientists fit into the naturalists and botanist mix during their earliest days in the field?
Will Reading Romance Novels Make Artificial Intelligence More Human?
Google is feeding its natural language AI thousands of romance novels in an effort to humanize its “conversational tone.” Will this give it "humanness?"
A Novel Defense of the Internet
Novel reading was once regarded as an idle occupation, just as Internet use is now.
The Mysterious Ocean of Enceladus
Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a secret. For some years, scientists have been convinced that there is a liquid ...
The Next Frontier in Synthetic Biology
Researchers have built something pretty weird—an artificial stingray. Ethicists and legal experts are still debating the rise of synthetic biology.
The Bison Is America’s New National Mammal
The American bison joins the bald eagle as the second national animal. What will the designation mean for its conservation status?
The Astounding Adaptations of Long-Distance Flyers
Frigate birds are truly champion fliers. The birds can fly for weeks without stopping. How do they do it?
The Nuptial Gifts of the Firefly
Fireflies, lightning bugs, glowworms: the evocative insects of summer reveal some surprising new insights into biology.