Using Thoreau’s Notebooks to Understand Climate Change
Thoreau's time at Walden Pond has provided substantial data for scientists monitoring the effects of a warming climate on the area's plant life.
Do Viruses Cheat to Win at Evolution?
How one pair of researchers used game theory to predict the sneaky, underhanded behavior of microbial competitors.
The Horseshoe Crab: Same as It Ever Was?
The seemingly static appearance of these ancient-looking arthropods presents a challenge for scientists who want to study their evolutionary history.
Francesca Vidotto: The Quantum Properties of Space-Time
Theoretical physicist Francesca Vidotto on feminist epistemology, white holes, string theory, and her book (with Carlo Rovelli) on loop quantum gravity.
Can Zapping Your Brain Really Make You Smarter?
Early scientific results on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) show promise, but are they enough to support a multi-billion-dollar industry?
The Quantum Random Number Generator
It’s real. And it will use quantum entanglement to generate true mathematical randomness. Here’s why that matters.
The Rise and Fall of Hologram Art
Major artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Louise Bourgeois have experimented with holography, but it has yet to be taken seriously as an art form.
Kuiper Belt Objects Are as Mysterious as They Are Distant
Recently the New Horizons spacecraft made the first flyby of a Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) in the extreme outer solar system. What do we know about KBOs?