Behavior
The Art of Lying
Lying has gotten a bad rap. In fact, it is among the most sophisticated accomplishments of the human mind. But how can one tell if a person is fibbing?
Features159019 articles archived since 1845
Engineering
Fully Autonomous Weapons Pose Unique Dangers to Humankind
Nations racing to acquire weapons that choose their own targets are ignoring the apocalyptic scenarios that can unfold when rivals catch up
Biotech
CRISPR-Edited Babies Arrived, and Regulators Are Still Racing to Catch Up
One year after the world learned of He Jiankui’s editing of twins, gaps in rules remain
Health
Survival of the Fittest Cells
Cells in the body don’t always play nicely together. Could co-opting their competitive nature help to unlock cutting-edge therapies?
The Coolest Physics You’ve Ever Heard Of
Ultracold atoms can simulate all sorts of quantum behavior
Animals
“Birdbrain” Turns from Insult to Praise
Some avian species use tools and can recognize themselves in the mirror. How do tiny brains pull off such big feats?
Medicine
Johns Hopkins Scientists Give Psychedelics the Serious Treatment
The first research center of its kind in the country is bringing renewed rigor to the investigation of the drugs’ therapeutic uses
Space & Physics
The Curious Case of Proxima C
Astronomers continue to gather evidence for a second world around the sun’s nearest neighboring star
Space & Physics
Mysterious, Dusty Objects Are Swarming the Milky Way’s Core
Swirling around our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, these objects share properties with both stars and gas clouds
Neuroscience
In Search of the Brain’s Social Road Maps
Neural circuits that track our whereabouts in space and time may also play vital roles in determining how we relate to other people
Cognition
Does Consciousness Pervade the Universe?
Philosopher Philip Goff answers questions about “panpsychism”
Fitness
Unexpected Clues Emerge About Why Diets Fail
The physiology of weight regain still baffles scientists, but surprising insights have emerged
Quantum Computing
Quantum Slits Open New Doors
An update to the classic “double-slit” experiment paves the way toward a novel strategy for quantum computing
Space & Physics
Alone in a Crowded Milky Way
Even a galaxy teeming with star-hopping alien civilizations should still harbor isolated, unvisited worlds—and Earth might be among them
This Was the Decade We Knew We Were Right
Everything is connected, and everything is changing
Public Health
How to Break the Bonds of Opioids
Many chronic pain patients can be slowly tapered from the drugs without increasing misery
Fitness
Why Your Brain Needs Exercise
The evolutionary history of humans explains why physical activity is important for brain health
Cognition
Taking Sex Differences in Personality Seriously
New approaches are shedding light on the magnitude of sex differences in personality, and the results are so strong and pervasive that they can no longer be ignored
Computing
Will Machines Ever Become Conscious?
AI may equal human intelligence without matching the true nature of our experiences
Evolution
The Face of the Earliest Human Ancestor, Revealed
A long-sought fossil could redraw our family tree
