Extraterrestrial Life
Most Aliens May Be Artificial Intelligence, Not Life as We Know It
Human intelligence may be just a brief phase before machines take over. That may answer where the aliens are hiding
Stories by Mario Livio
Extraterrestrial Life
How Far Should We Take Our Cosmic Humility?
For centuries, scientific discoveries have suggested humanity occupies no privileged place in the universe. Now, however, studies of worlds beyond our solar system could place meaningful new limits on our existential mediocrity...
Culture
Galileo and the Science Deniers
Four hundred years ago Galileo Galilei’s scientific findings were rejected because they didn’t fit the prevailing beliefs of the time. His story is disturbingly relevant today...
Space & Physics
Did Galileo Truly Say, ‘And Yet It Moves’? A Modern Detective Story
An astrophysicist traces genealogy and art history to discover the origin of the famous motto
Culture
Galileo’s Fight against Science Denial
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio talks about his latest book, Galileo: And the Science Deniers, and how the legendary scientist’s battles are still relevant today.
Biology
Winston Churchill’s Thoughts on Evolution
His essay on alien life was uncovered in 2016; now we have a second example of his previously unpublished thoughts about science
Space & Physics
Einstein's Famous "God Letter" Is Up for Auction
A note the physicist wrote in 1954 reveals his thinking on religion and science
Cognition
Curiouser and Curiouser
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio ventures deep into the human mind in his new book, Why? What Makes Us Curious.
Culture
Do We Need Renaissance People Any More?
Even in an age of ultra-specialization, says an astrophysicist in a new book, we absolutely do
Culture
Churchill's Extraterrestrials
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio writes in the journal Nature and talks to Scientific American about the recently rediscovered essay by Winston Churchill that analyzed with impressive scientific accuracy the conditions under which extraterrestrial life might exist...
Winston Churchill, Astrobiologist
In 1939, he wrote presciently about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life in a way modern scientists can admire
Dark Energy: No Answers but More Questions
Why is the expansion of the universe accelerating? After two decades of study, the answer is as mysterious as ever, but the questions have become clearer
If There Are Aliens Out There, Where Are They?
Alien life, if it exists, could be as simple as bacteria or more complex than humans—and there are optimal strategies for searching for both
The Sciences
Why Math Works
Is math invented or discovered? A leading astrophysicist suggests that the answer to the millennia-old question is both
Hubble's Top 10
As they wait for the space telescope to be serviced one last time, astronomers reflect on its discoveries over the past 16 years
