Space
Searching for City Lights on Other Planets
There’s a detectable difference between a planet shining with reflected light and a planet glowing with its own artificial illumination
Opinion
Conservation
Invasive Species Can Sometimes Help an Ecosystem
In Hawaiʻi, imported birds have taken on some of the roles once performed by those that have gone extinct—but there’s a catch
Math
A Random Walk through the English Language
How a dispute between a religious believer and a confirmed atheist led to a major mathematical breakthrough
Policy & Ethics
Any Reform of Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Must Include Environmental Justice
Drilling and refining has often come at the expense of Black communities, engulfing our neighborhoods with massive amounts of toxic pollution
Public Health
Why We Don’t Know the Animal Origins of the Coronavirus
Viruses that “spill over” to people do not stick around in animals, so finding true sources takes years of careful work, an expert says
Conservation
Let’s Rebuild the U.S. Jaguar Population—Yes, Jaguars
Most Americans are probably surprised that we still share a country with these magnificent big cats. But they need help to survive
Policy & Ethics
A Tool Doctors Use Every Day Can Perpetuate Medical Racism
It’s called the “history of present illness,” or HPI, and it often includes a patient’s race—which is more likely to detract from care than to improve it
Space
Death by Primordial Black Hole
If such an object a mere 1,000 times bigger than an atom passed through your body, the result would not be pretty
Biology
Transcendence Happens All the Time
We’ve long fantasized about transformations from one mode of life to another, but nature has already beaten us to it
Public Health
Coronavirus News Roundup: May 22–June 4
Pandemic highlights for the past two weeks
