At center, the cytoskeleton’s actin fibers in mouse connective tissue cells are seen in yellow; cellular DNA is stained blue

Super-Resolution Microscopes Showcase the Inner Lives of Cells

Advanced light microscopy techniques have come into their own—and are giving scientists a new understanding of human biology and what goes wrong in disease.
Two broad wedges made of thousands of tiny dots in colorful bands on a black background.

Shifting Forces: The Evolving Debate Around Dark Energy

New evidence suggests the universe might not behave as expected, raising questions about the costs of being wrong.
These colors are not what Mercury would look like to the human eye, but rather the colors enhance the chemical, mineralogical, and physical differences between the rocks that make up Mercury's surface.

The Mystery of Mercury’s Missing Meteorites

And how we may have finally found some.
Hellas Chaos on Mars

Mars Time Machine

Researchers are creating advanced simulations that will provide a deeper understanding of Mars’s climatic history and help to determine whether it was once able to sustain life.

String Theory Is Not Dead

Out of the limelight, theoretical physicists seek the math that can explain the universe’s particles and forces.
Satellite image of salt deposits on Mars

“Follow the Salt”: A New Strategy for Finding Life on Mars

Scientists might be looking for Martian life in the wrong place.
Fragment of the NWA7397 meteorite found in the Sahara desert on 2012

Meteorites from Mars

Meteorites that come from Mars help scientists understand the red planet’s interior.
Eoraptor lunensis lived roughly 230 million years ago, at a time when dinosaurs were small and rare.

Growing Quickly Helped the Earliest Dinosaurs

Rapid growth also helped other ancient reptiles flourish in the aftermath of mass extinction.
MeerKAT telescopes

MeerKAT: The South African Radio Telescope That’s Transformed Our Understanding of the Cosmos

MeerKAT has emerged as a beacon of innovation and opportunity on the African continent.