
These Fish and Flies Are Engineered to Break Down Mercury
Bacterial genes protect animals—and their predators—from harmful contamination

These Fish and Flies Are Engineered to Break Down Mercury
Bacterial genes protect animals—and their predators—from harmful contamination

Firing Science Advisors Will Leave the U.S. Senseless
From public health to space exploration, advisory panels have helped U.S. agencies make smarter decisions. The Trump administration wants to kill them


Walking Shouldn’t Be So Dangerous in the U.S.
About 20 people die every day in the U.S. after being hit by a car. To make walking safer, we need a big cultural shift in how we view pedestrian safety

What Does a Wildfire-Resistant House Look Like?
With wildfires happening more often and burning more area, homes need to be “hardened” to make them more fire-resistant

A New Device Lets You Taste Things without Actually Eating Them
This tiny instrument lets users taste things—without actually eating them—by releasing a combination of chemicals that reconstruct different tastes. But replicating associated smells and textures will take some time

Widening Highways Doesn’t Fix Traffic. Here’s What Can
Highway widening projects usually don’t solve congestion, but less expensive toll programs known as congestion pricing can. Here’s why

‘Hot Potato’ Plants Engineered to Flourish in Heat Waves
A genetic tweak keeps potatoes efficient in the heat

I Destroyed a Car to Explore Some Music Myths
Two years of experimentation taught a Nashville guitarist not every musical myth makes sense

NASA Needs a ‘Lunar Marathon’ to Match China on the Moon
We are in a new and different kind of moon race, one the U.S. is losing. To win, says a former NASA official, we need new strategies

Elon Musk Owes His Success to Coming in Second (and Government Handouts)
The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, owes his superstar success to self-satisfied competitors who blew obvious opportunities

The World’s First Nuclear Clock Is Finally Ticking
After decades of work, physicists have finally broken into the atom to build the first nuclear clock

Baby Boomers Should Stand Up for New York City’s Congestion Pricing Plan
By canceling congestion pricing for drivers in New York City, the governor of New York State will hurt many retirees, who need the mass transport investments the move promised