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History and Society
Research shows that octopuses are sentient, emotional creatures.
There are pros and cons to sending interstellar messages to aliens that may or may not exist.
Every timekeeping device works via a version of a pendulum — even the atomic clocks that are accurate to nanoseconds.
Two types of nanotechnology, metalenses and metamaterials, could soon make Harry Potter's invisibility cloak a reality.
Some question the ethics of sanctions aimed at cancelling Russian art and culture and punishing ordinary citizens.
Is there victory in defeat?
It didn't look like anything I'd seen before, but I'd be a great fool to consider "aliens" as a reasonable possibility.
Today, we could use Big Data to radically reform democracy. Tomorrow, we could build nanofabricators and usher in an era of abundance. Is society ready?
Volcanic activity caused the end-Triassic mass extinction 200 million years ago. The dinosaurs survived and rose to dominance.
People underestimate their opponent’s capacity to feel basic human sensations. We can short-circuit this impulse through moral reframing and perspective taking.
The underground burial tombs were used at least as far back as 2500 B.C.
AI-generated photos, also known as synthetic media, are being used to create fake experts and journalists to spread disinformation.
After mammoth investments and two decades of anti-aging research, what do immortality proponents have to show for it?
"Immodest Acts" tells the story of Benedetta Carlini, a lesbian nun who claimed to be a mystic visionary but failed to convince the leaders of her faith.
Moments of social anxiety around truth tend to be accompanied by similar “fool the eye” pop culture phenomena.
Satire and an inflated sense of self-importance collide in a series of maps that goes back more than 100 years in American history.
Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod saved countless lives, but some religious leaders denounced his invention.
The recently discovered Oort cloud comet, Bernardinelli–Bernstein, has the largest known nucleus: 119 km. Here's what it could do to Earth.
When was the last time you spent some quality time with yourself?
Single objects rarely change the course of an entire scientific field. Distant object GNz7q, a galaxy-quasar hybrid, might do exactly that.
Archaic humans ventured into Eurasia in waves, not always successfully. They may have started their journey in North Africa or West Asia.
Many atheists think of themselves as intellectually gifted individuals, guiding humanity on the path of reason. Scientific data shows otherwise.
John Templeton Foundation
The Assam stone jars were described as early as 1929. Almost a century later, archaeologists still puzzle over their placement and purpose.
This representation of the Bamum kingdom is a rare example of early 20th-century indigenous African cartography.
There may be thousands of undiscovered mammal species in the world. Most are small, like bats and rodents, but there could be primates, too. A lifeline for Bigfoot enthusiasts?
Frank Slater’s book "Practical Portrait Painting" reveals the secrets of masters old and new, from Leonardo da Vinci to Augustus John.
As far as we can tell, there's no limit to how far it goes on; only a limit to how far we can see. Could the Universe truly be infinite?
Catholic sisters outnumber priests and religious on every continent.
Successful romantic relationships require desire, but that desire doesn't have to be sexual.
There is much more to the Kama Sutra than just sex. It's a guide to anyone wanting more pleasure in life, however they take it.