United States flag pointing Washington in cheap plastic globe. Shallow depth of field, focus on flag

What Is Isolationism?

The history and politics of an often-maligned foreign policy concept.
Close-up of sourdough starter and flour in jars

The Science of Sourdough: How Citizens Are Helping Shape the Future of Fermented Foods

Citizen scientists are drawing on personal experience to help researchers create new plant-based fermented foods and maximize their health benefits.
The Sun's corona observed in extreme ultraviolet (131 Å)

Colliding Plasma Ejections From the Sun Generate Huge Geomagnetic Storms

Studying them will help scientists monitor future space weather.
A male maratus splendens spider on a stalk of grass.

Tiny Splendid Peacock Spiders

They have the fastest known jump among their kind according to a new study.
Lonomia obliqua

The Caterpillars That Can Kill You

Some species make venoms that are deadly. With more research, those toxic compounds could yield useful medicines.
A Java Sparrow

Hard Bites and Slow Songs

How beak size affects the singing and evolution of songbirds.
Artist’s conception of early star formation:

When Everything in the Universe Changed

The revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope and next-gen radio telescopes are probing what’s known as the epoch of reionization.
Vanessa cardui

The Secrets of Butterfly Migration, Written in Pollen

Trillions of insects move around the globe each year. Scientists are working on new ways to map those long-distance journeys.
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, 1965

Bob Dylan and the Creative Leap That Transformed Modern Music

In 1964, Dylan decided that he wanted to make a different kind of music.