Biology

A small, warm-blooded brown bird with outstretched wings captured in mid-flight against a blue sky.
An excerpt from renowned neuropsychologist Nicholas Humphrey’s book “Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness.”
A tailless human from a rope.
CRISPR study helps answer a question that has long puzzled scientists.
A statue of a woman with a red blindfold on her head, symbolizing the human experience in the realm of science.
Here's the case for why science can't keep ignoring human experience.
A black and white image of a black and white image of a black and white image of a black and white image of a.
We don’t yet know if these strange “obelisks” are helpful or harmful.
A forest overlaid with an image of a city
The answer is set to change in the year 2113, a recent estimate suggests.
An image of a spiral galaxy with stars in the background, showcasing the mesmerizing beauty of cosmic formations.
The pattern 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc., is the Fibonacci sequence. It shows up all over nature. But what's the full explanation behind it?
Abstract representation of the first possible molecules in a cosmic setting with a celestial body.
Earth wasn't created until more than 9 billion years after the Big Bang. In some lucky places, life could have arisen almost right away.
An image of a fetus in an incubator, showcasing the delicate growth process.
Stem cells from a fetus can live within the mother for decades — and help her heal.
A white rat with long hair standing on a black background.
A new study provides the first proof-of-principle that genetic material transferred from one species to another can increase both longevity and healthspan in the recipient animal.
Monks in red robes walking in the snow during biostasis.
Inside the “out there” quest for a drug that would help doctors save lives before it’s too late.
Two enigmatic jellyfish dancing in the dark.
The best answer we have is, "Life is matter with intentionality."
A portrait of a man in a red coat, hinting at Copernicanism through symbolism.
Looking at our planet with post-Copernican eyes has the power to change how we relate to it and each other.
An image of a plant with green leaves on it.
Researchers estimate there may be as many as ten million trillion trillion phages on Earth — that's 10 with 30 zeros after it.
photosynthesis plants
All biological systems are wildly disordered. Yet somehow, that disorder enables plant photosynthesis to be nearly 100% efficient.
a couple of squid swimming in the ocean.
Numerous videos online show that squid undergo a dramatic color-changing effect after being stunned or killed.
a close up of a bacteria with very long stems.
Some scientists think we should allow our bodies to more harmlessly live with pathogens until they’re cleared from our systems.
a close up of a fish under water.
7mins
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Paul Nurse defines the 5 core principles of life.
A white rooster, symbolizing the protein origin of life, stands on straw near a wooden fence, a dish, and some greenery in the background.
In the beginning, genes weren't needed.
John Templeton Foundation
a close up of a person with curly hair.
The curlier the hair, the cooler you are.
a bunch of bees that are inside of a beehive.
Bees learn and culturally transmit their communication skills.
a very cute looking animal with a button on it's head.
At least one of Earth's creatures is able to survive the vacuum of space.
Epigenetic entropy shows that you can’t fully understand cancer without mathematics.
Ernst Haeckel
He was also a eugenicist — but at least he could draw pretty pictures.
Dead whales inspire a way to find extraterrestrial life on Mars.
pill
If you want a medication to kick in faster, lean right.
Reframing life in terms of death reveals some of the biggest philosophical problems with how we think about living systems.
The answer is both disappointing and exciting.
mammals
Mammals have a history stretching back 325 million years. To study that ancient history is to know our own origins.