Exploring bleeding edge experiments, oddities, new and bizarre dicoveries, and fact-checking conspiracy theories since 2008. No question is out of bounds and no topic is too strange for a deep dive.
# health
One of scientists’ biggest fears about fungi and global warming is starting to slowly play out.
# tech
In a legal and technical first, a robot lawyer is about to help a human defendant. Is it a good idea? And what happens next?
# science
Despite what cranks, frauds, and their fans will tell you, scientists do listen to amateurs with good ideas, as two recent news stories demonstrate.
# science
Suburbs have long been the subject of consternation and ire from activists and urban planners, and research seems to agree with their critiques.
# science
According to pundits and politicians, we live in a world where talent and reward go hand in hand. But basic statistics says that’s simply not possible.
# science
After decades of promises, fusion research finally yielded the breakthrough we’ve all been waiting to see. Sort of. And there’s a lot of work still to do.
# space
Imagine stars millions of times larger than the Sun powered by black holes. It sounds too bizarre to be true, but scientists think they may be responsible for today’s universe.
# space
Imagine being able to sleep for months, if not years, waking up orbiting another world. But is this just wishful thinking, or can humans really learn to hibernate?
# oddities
Ancient Apocalypse is not a bold new exploration of human history. It’s a cheap, lazy rehash of myths and cliches debunked a century ago.
# space
It turns out there is life after stellar death. Say hello to zombie worlds, undead planets orbiting the most extreme objects in the universe.