Waste Not, Want Not
Sewage is a vital part of a circular economy—and we have the tech to make good use of it. Why don’t we?
Our Most Popular Stories of 2022
Personality tests, street dogs, underwater treasures, and a natural history of dragons.
Who Wants the Metaverse?
What exactly is the “metaverse,” and what could it be, beyond an overused, hyper-trendy prompt in marketing copy?
The Greening of the Great Basin
The growth of grass in a desert might not seem problematic, but the introduction of invasive species can disrupt plant, animal, and human inhabitants.
Long Before Sputnik: An Explosion of Federal Science
The National Academy of Sciences was created by the United States Congress during the American Civil War. The timing wasn’t coincidental.
YouTube During the Age of COVID-19
The video platform faced myriad challenges in combating disinformation, made more acute by a reliance on automated tools for content review and moderation.
Public Paw-licy: Dog Breeding, from Pedigrees to Bans
Harmony between human and canine shouldn’t be difficult to find, but poorly defined policies and breed uncertainties makes mutts vulnerable to public biases.
Whatever Happened to the Open Internet?
There may be a way out of corporate control of the internet, but it probably starts with money.
Plant of the Month: Guinea Grass
The West African grass was imported to sustain Caribbean sugar plantations, but it has turned against them, becoming a symbol of resilience and independence.
Masterpiece Theater
Climate activist attacks on works by van Gogh, Vermeer, and other art world titans are the latest in a tradition of destruction that hearkens to the early Christian zealots.