Search
Biology
Earth wasn't created until more than 9 billion years after the Big Bang. In some lucky places, life could have arisen almost right away.
Stem cells from a fetus can live within the mother for decades — and help her heal.
A new study provides the first proof-of-principle that genetic material transferred from one species to another can increase both longevity and healthspan in the recipient animal.
Inside the “out there” quest for a drug that would help doctors save lives before it’s too late.
The best answer we have is, "Life is matter with intentionality."
Looking at our planet with post-Copernican eyes has the power to change how we relate to it and each other.
Researchers estimate there may be as many as ten million trillion trillion phages on Earth — that's 10 with 30 zeros after it.
All biological systems are wildly disordered. Yet somehow, that disorder enables plant photosynthesis to be nearly 100% efficient.
Numerous videos online show that squid undergo a dramatic color-changing effect after being stunned or killed.
Some scientists think we should allow our bodies to more harmlessly live with pathogens until they’re cleared from our systems.
7mins
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Paul Nurse defines the 5 core principles of life.
"You gotta know when to fold 'em."
In the beginning, genes weren't needed.
John Templeton Foundation
Bees learn and culturally transmit their communication skills.
At least one of Earth's creatures is able to survive the vacuum of space.
Epigenetic entropy shows that you can’t fully understand cancer without mathematics.
He was also a eugenicist — but at least he could draw pretty pictures.
Dead whales inspire a way to find extraterrestrial life on Mars.
If you want a medication to kick in faster, lean right.
Reframing life in terms of death reveals some of the biggest philosophical problems with how we think about living systems.
Mammals have a history stretching back 325 million years. To study that ancient history is to know our own origins.
The biology behind your office's air conditioning war.
There’s an enormous evolutionary advantage for flamingos to stand on one leg, but genetics doesn't help. Only physics explains why.
4mins
“If 90% of children had ADHD and only 10% of children could sit still at a desk, how would we design school?”
John Templeton Foundation
The spooky world of quantum mechanics might reach out and touch you — by mutating your DNA. Welcome to the weird world of quantum biology.
Are physicists about to decode a mysterious field of science that could have huge implications for your health?
John Templeton Foundation
Symmetrical objects are less complex than non-symmetrical ones. Perhaps evolution acts as an algorithm with a bias toward simplicity.