In this excerpt from Separation of Powers, Cass Sunstein explains how the U.S. Constitution prevents such a concentration of authority from turning democracy into despotism.

Smashing things together at unprecedented energies sounds dangerous. But it's nothing the Universe hasn't already seen, and survived.

No civilization, no matter how successful, can last forever. What does the non-detection of intelligent aliens mean for our own longevity?

Throughout history, the ability to tell increasingly believable stories has become available to more people. Kevin Ashton says that’s a blessing and a curse.

In this excerpt from Wired on Wall Street, Tom Hardin (aka "Tipper X") shares how he began gathering intelligence on insider trading for the FBI.

A growing movement shows that protecting the world’s forests — and the people who have safeguarded them for centuries — is one of the most powerful, and overlooked, tools in the fight against climate change.

The idea that it’s “too late” to reduce emissions fuels cynicism and despair, putting us on an even worse trajectory.

Toxic positivity isn’t optimism. It’s denial. Historian Kate Bowler explains why our obsession with “good vibes only” is making it harder to cope.

What’s in a number? Only a vanishingly small slice of your life, it turns out.

Alain de Botton argues that our romantic lives are shaped more by the emotional patterns we learned in childhood than by destiny.

A big open question in 21st-century science is how life began here on Earth. The metabolism-first scenario just might be the best one.

The “dystopian” biotech imagined in these novels is now changing real lives for the better.

Technology, shifting rules, and human ambition push athletes beyond biology’s perceived limits.

Sixty years ago, a little-known philosopher challenged how science understands life. His perspective is finding new relevance in the age of artificial intelligence.

Speculative evolution explores the strange paths natural selection might have taken — and what that means for humans.

Some sci-fi aliens are wildly implausible. Others aren’t so far-fetched.

At COP30, Indigenous leaders came with a message the world can’t ignore: 5% of the global population is safeguarding 80% of Earth’s biodiversity. A $1.8B pledge was made to support their land rights — but will the money follow their lead?

A century ago, an American colony named after Trump's favorite president was thriving on the Isle of Pines. Then came hurricanes and geopolitical reality.

One big goal of science is to find an inhabited, Earth-like planet. But if we find an Earth-like world, will we even recognize it?

The Universe is expanding, the expansion is accelerating, and some galaxies even recede faster-than-light. Can we see a change in real time?