The Sciences

Robotic rovers such as Perseverance are great, but they can’t answer the most fundamental questions about the Red Planet

We don’t know if the interstellar object ‘Oumuamua was natural or artificial—but a new telescope coming online in a few years could help us identify the next one

If so, as has recently been suggested, there are likely many more such icebergs moving between star systems

The Space Launch System could launch on an inaugural lunar mission later this year

The philosophical position that the world has an objective, physical existence may be dubious, but we need it to address our very real problems

Creating Bose-Einstein condensates—and crashing them together—in microgravity could lead to physics breakthroughs, better spacecraft navigation and more

Mars becomes the first inner planet after Earth to have its core measured

Organoids made of tear-producing cells offer chances to study, and possibly treat, eye disorders

With initial operations going smoothly, the rover could soon attempt to launch its pioneering helicopter, Ingenuity

Understanding the fate of Mars’s moisture could unlock deep secrets of the planet’s past habitability

A phenomenon called proton tunneling could account for point mutations in strands of genetic material

The field began in part to support white supremacy—and it hasn’t fully shaken off that shameful heritage