Space
Noah’s Spaceship
A craft built to save Earth’s biodiversity from a planetary crisis would be far tinier—but vastly more far-reaching—than the biblical Ark
Stories by Avi Loeb
Policy & Ethics
The Scientific Benefits of Social Distancing
Avoiding too much direct contact with colleagues can lead to more independent thinking
Policy & Ethics
The Empty Half of the Glass May Also Be Full
How many scientific breakthroughs have been lost because they came from outside the mainstream?
Physics
Black Holes Are Finally Trending
A Nobel Prize is just the latest proof that a concept rejected by Einstein in 1939 has become one of the hottest topics in physics
Space
Living near a White Dwarf
A planet orbiting the glowing corpse of a sunlike star might be a surprisingly benign place to be
Space
Searching for the Atoms of Life
Any extraterrestrial organisms we find will be made of the same atoms we are—yet their existence will be profoundly important to us nonetheless
Policy & Ethics
Academia after COVID
The pandemic offers colleges and universities an unexpected opportunity to reinvent themselves in ways that better serve students and faculty
Space
Nature’s Splendor Exceeds Our Imagination
When you’re unprepared to find exceptional things, you never will
Space
Social Distancing on a Cosmic Scale
Advanced extraterrestrials may just not be interested in travel or communication
Behavior & Society
The Hawking Limit
The late, great physicist showed us how to keep embracing life and work even as his physical condition deteriorated
Policy & Ethics
The Dangers of Intellectual Territorialism
Narrow expertise has its value, but it’s also vital to let scientists step out of their “lanes”
Behavior & Society
What if We Could Live for a Million Years?
Vastly extended life spans would bring dazzling opportunities—and daunting risks
Space
A Movie of the Evolving Universe Is Potentially Scary
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will reveal all sorts of short-term changes in the cosmos—and some could have dire consequences for humanity
Behavior & Society
The Power of Scientific Brainstorming
The process can be inefficient, but it can also get research out of a rut
Physics
Living with Scientific Uncertainty
We’re inevitably forced to make decisions without knowing all of the facts
Space
An Audacious Explanation for Fast Radio Bursts
It’s a long shot, but could at least some of these energy blasts from across the universe come from extraterrestrial civilizations?
Beware of ‘Theories of Everything’
Nature is under no obligation to conform to our mathematical ideas—even the most brilliant ones
Visionary Science Takes More Than Just Technical Skills
The ability to come up with truly revolutionary ideas is crucial—and extremely rare
Space
In Search of Naked Singularities
The “cosmic censorship” hypothesis says they shouldn’t exist—but is it possible that we’ve already detected them and misinterpreted their nature?
Policy & Ethics
Let’s Create an Elite Scientific Body to Advise on Global Catastrophes
Call it the Science Readiness Reserves—a group that will anticipate and prepare for rare but disastrous events such as pandemics, asteroid strikes, and more
