The Porthole
Short sharp looks at science
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The Importance of Muscle
In his new book, Michael Joseph Gross explores how the notion of strength has changed since Homer
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Why Elephants Rarely Get Cancer
What snakes, ferrets, and elephants are revealing about cancer resistance
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Argue Your Way to a Fuller Life
Refute your friends and family, never be satisfied. Philosopher Agnes Callard on life lessons from Socrates.
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Balloon-Borne Telescopes Take Off
Stratospheric balloons are giving astronomers sharper views of the universe
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These Physicists Want to Ditch Dark Energy
The idea that mysterious stuff speeds up the acceleration of the universe could be a big mistake
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Ukrainian War Widows on the Edge
Adventure therapy takes on the challenge of helping war-torn families
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David Lynch Opens a Portal to Our Minds
I use the filmmaker’s work in my psychology lab to understand how we make sense of an unsettling world
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How We Solved the Hole in the Ozone
A scientist’s first-hand account shows the world can tackle a global environmental crisis.
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The Sean Carrolls Explain the Universe
Why are we here? Is there life on other planets? The renowned scientists who share a name share their answers to life’s big questions.
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The Soviet Rebel of Music
He composed on a computer in a dangerous time. His echo is still heard today.
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How Whales Could Help Us Speak to Aliens
Learning to decode complex communication on Earth may give us a leg up if intelligent life from space makes contact.
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The Perils of Early Springtime
How shifting seasons are altering allergies and agriculture -
Ballooning Around Venus
A scientist floats a new idea for exploring Earth’s twin -
Hidden Dragon
Prizewinning image shows a leafy seadragon expertly camouflaged in seagrass -
Learning Medicine from Animals
Biologist Jaap de Roode on his 3 greatest revelations while writing Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves -
Rockets Are Blasting the Environment
At launch sites, rockets are leaving a trail of damage to wildlife, vegetation, and water -
Animals Are More Rational Than You Think
What we can learn from alligators that lure birds with twigs -
The Creative Nest
How decorating work spaces supports art making -
The Collective Power of Ants
A group of ants beats a group of humans at problem solving -
Breathing New Life into Found Objects
A conversation with Nautilus cover artist Katherine Streeter. -
Wolves Reintroduced Themselves to America
How the godfather of wolf conservation in Canada sees wolf recovery across the border -
The Language of Tree Rings
Turning tree ring science into art -
Courtship Is a Risky Endeavor
A winning image shows stag beetles in an epic fight for a mate -
The Caterpillars That Can Kill You
But their toxic compounds could yield useful medicines -
Life in an Atmospheric Zoo
Journalist Carl Zimmer tells the story of the science of aerobiology -
Out from the Darkness
A winning photograph shows a shadowy image of an elusive bear -
The Unnatural History of Bird Flu
H5N1 is a human creation -
The Hallucinatory Thoughts of the Dying Mind
Delirium exposes the gap between the ideal and the reality -
When Other People’s Chewing Causes You Pain
Social relationships might shape a neurological disorder -
Death by a Thousand Pecks
The bay where kelp gulls are killing off baby whales -
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
Some birds may use songs to help each other migrate
