Who Was Alexander von Humboldt?
Remembering the work of the great naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, on the 250th anniversary of his birth.
An Epidemic of Retractions
Nicolas Chevassus-au-Louis's new book, Fraud in the Lab, offers some tough love for the scientific community.
Joseph Priestley, Radical Inventor
How scientist and soda water inventor Joseph Priestley came to be an enemy of the state.
The Beaufort Botanist and Her “Innocent Diversion”
Despite the twelve volume herbarium she created, this seventeenth-century scientist earned little recognition.
Under Victorian Microscopes, an Enchanted World
When it came time to describe what they saw under microscopes, Victorians couldn’t help but perceive a real-life fairyland.
Do We Still Need to Worry About the Hole in the Ozone Layer?
The world tends to forget about the annual ozone hole that appears over Antarctica, though we're facing huge and complex environmental concerns.
Scientific Researchers Need to Open Up to Collaboration
The apprenticeship model is cutting us off from addressing today’s complex questions. Fortunately, social avenues like ResearchGate and MCubed can help.
Scientists Have Always Been Political
Science has always been political, with questions about who pays for research, and who gets to do it, influencing the type of work that gets done.
How Francis Crick Almost Didn’t Make His Huge DNA Discovery
British physicist-turned-biologist Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA 100 years ago. Crick had a convoluted route to this important discovery.
Charles Darwin In His Own Words
Some collected letters and observations from the great naturalist, Charles Darwin.