This $600-Million Room Contains the World's Largest Collection of These Tiny Endangered Animals
Inside a vault at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles lies a microscopic population of immense value—the repository for vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Surviving in the Ephemeral Pools of Life
Carpets of gold, burrowing toads and fairy shrimp all depend on vernal pools—habitats that, most of the time, do not exist.
This Fleeting Ecosystem Is Magical, and You Have Probably Never Heard of It or Even Noticed It
Vernal pools are home to spectacular residents such as fairy shrimp, but these unusual natural wonders are under threat.
Do We Need To Save the Whales Again?
A scientist who does whale necropsies — or in layman's terms, whale autopsies — tells us why so many dead whales are washing up on beaches.
The Bad Side of ‘Good’ Cholesterol
Very high HDL cholesterol levels almost double your risk of heart problems.
AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them
Humans are building meaningful relationships with AI chatbots. What will the consequences be?
A Mission to Jupiter’s Strange Moons Is Finally on Its Way
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) and Europa Clipper missions will search for signs of habitability on three of Jupiter’s potentially ocean-bearing moons.
The Surprising Backstory behind Witch Hunts and Reproductive Labor
Two of the foremost experts on witch hunts talk about the link between the formation of domestic labor and the rise of witch hunting.
What You Need to Know about GPT‑4
The AI GPT-4 has emergent abilities—but that’s not why it’s scary.
We Have Good News for Coffee Lovers
A careful new study reveals coffee is generally safe for your heart and may boost your daily step count.
Meet the Magnificent Microbes of the Deep Unknown
These two researchers journey toward the center of Earth—via windows to the crust—to find bacteria that can breathe iron, arsenic and other metals that would kill us pretty quickly.
How Zombifying Fungi Became Master Manipulators
The real-life fungi that inspired The Last of Us hijack the bodies of ants, wasps, cicadas, and more.