Female Botanist Published the First Ever Photo Book
Nineteenth-century researcher Anna Atkins collected specimens of algae and imaged them using the then cutting-edge blueprinting process
Stories by Leslie Nemo
Hummingbirds’ Iridescent Feathers Are Still a Bit of a Mystery
Scientists still don’t know the full purpose of this changeable biological trait
Stunning Astronomy Photographs Look like They’re Shot from Space
Astrophotographer Miguel Claro’s portraits capture wonders of the universe
Even Tiny Phytoplankton Have Microbiomes
These algae exchange vital chemicals with bacteria that live around their surface
Brain Cells Blinking in Rhythm May Hold Clues to Alzheimer’s Disease
Pulses of light and sound helped mice predisposed to the disease. Researchers hope to investigate the potential therapy for humans with neurons created in a petri dish
Snowflake Structure Still Mystifies Physicists
Flakes’ final shape depends on an array of temperature, humidity and wind speed variables
Australian Bees Were Seen Foraging at Twilight for First Time
Bee morphological features can predict their nighttime feeding behaviors
A Stunning 3-D Journey inside a Cancer Cell
Created with a technique called Z stacking, this GIF brings the disease to life
December’s Total Solar Eclipse as Seen from Space
The shadow of the moon is a brown blob moving across the face of Earth
Alexander Graham Bell Goes and Flies a Kite—for Science
After patenting the telephone, the famous inventor turned his attention to giant tetrahedral kites capable of lifting people into the air
Unrivaled View of Brilliant ‘Planetary Nebula’ NGC 2899
Its distinctive butterfly shape is caused by one star interfering with the gas expulsion pattern of another
Mosquitoes Stab Animals with a Syringelike Proboscis
Viewed side by side, the insects’ organ and a human-made syringe are uncannily similar
The Kaleidoscopic Art of Threatened Corals
Resilient corals in Miami may signal what the future holds for these creatures
Itsy-Bitsy 3-D Spider Web Is as Strong as Human-Made Materials
Lobster pot spiders spin their webs with a superior thread
Slit-Scan Technique Presents a Twist on Flowery Photography
Photographers and TikTokers can use the method to show how a narrow strip records something different in a series of sequential images
Multistate Disagreement over the Length of the Foot to End
In 2023 every U.S. land surveyor will begin using a single international standard
Cookie-Cutter Suburbs Could Help Spread Sustainable Yards
The housing governing groups can play a powerful role in encouraging environmentally friendly lawns
Faux Fish Might Help Aquaculture Keep Feeding the World
Some unexpected alternatives could avoid depleting the wild fish that farmed seafood eats
The Race to Relearn Hemp Farming
Researchers have a lot to learn about the previously banned crop before it flourishes on U.S. farms
From Defiled to Wild—Can a Spent Coal Mine Be Reborn as a Nature Conservation Center?
Kentucky’s first mountaintop removal coal mine is being turned into grassland to support valuable game species
