P.S., Mushrooms Are Extremely Beautiful
American mycologist Violetta White Delafield painted over 600 stunning watercolors of mushrooms as part of her fieldwork. Here they are in all their glory.
Teaching Pandemics Syllabus
Readings on the history of quarantine, contagious disease, viruses, infections, and epidemics offer important context for the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
With the Coronavirus, Science Confronts Geopolitics
The containment of COVID-19 raises pressing questions related to the freedom of scientific information, civil liberties, and human rights, one scholar explains.
Are Viruses Alive? Define Life.
Scientists have different ideas about whether viruses are living beings. But they have solid advice on how to destroy them: wash up.
Upside-Down Jellyfish and the Mucus of Death
You could get stung by a jellyfish even when there don't seem to be any around. Meet Cassiopea xamachana and its "stinging water" weirdness.
Biomimicry Comes for the Noble Hedgehog
Inventors often use animals' adaptations to the environment in applications that benefit humans, from sharky swimsuits to hedgehog-inspired helmets.
The “Doctress” Was In: Rebecca Lee Crumpler
The first Black woman physician served communities in the South after the Civil War but was buried in an anonymous grave. That will likely change.
Plant of the Month: Turmeric
The plant’s golden color has inspired a long—and potentially deadly—fascination.
The True Costs of Managing Pandemics
The fear of the next global virus isn't just media indulging in catastrophizing; it's a collective concern for global economic and political health.