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Do these facial composites merely represent national averages, or are they national “ideals”?

If dark matter is the most abundant form of mass, and has gravity, where are all the dark matter structures? “All enterprises that are entered into with indiscreet zeal may […]

Envy hurts, and it can devolve into nastiness and even violence, but envy can also encourage us to aspire to our better or our best selves at work, school or at home.

Two of the most famously rousing speeches in history, though one is from a dramatic work, address many of the same topics: bravery, fear, camaraderie, and death.

Many don’t have a leg to stand on where their understanding of evolution is concerned. David Sloan Wilson (head of the Evolution Institute) says “natural selection is life Monopoly.” But, it could be more like basketball…

The best-kept secret in music festivals and the six great new bands I found. “Life is a festival only to the wise.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson Every weekend, I try to […]

A young man received a new pair of sunglasses. What he saw changed his life. 

And is blue even a rare color for planets? “Whenever I gaze up at the moon, I feel like I’m on a time machine. I am back to that precious […]

Is looking for radio transmissions in space like claiming the lack of smoke signals means there are no modern humans? “[W]hat Fermi immediately realized was that the aliens have had […]

Urbanization is increasing rapidly, worldwide. It’s good for innovation, but is it good for people? 

There is no sense whatsoever that we are on the same page here, working toward some roughly agreed upon vision of a better future.

Painting for Picasso was rule-breaking, serious business, but sculpture was rule-innocent child’s play.

In order to bring conflicting countries closer together mentally, experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats wants to bring them closer together physically. He proposes action that would speed up Earth’s tectonic activity and lead to the rapid formation of a new supercontinent.

If all the random motions of the molecules inside aligned, how far and fast would it go? “Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.”-Bernard […]

Is everything astonishingly simple, though? Or is this a grandiose claim that falls flat when confronted with the evidence? “My main interest is the problem of the singularity. If we […]

In his dissent in Obergefell v. Hodges, the ruling that made same-sex marriage a constitutional right throughout the United States, Justice Clarence Thomas rejected the majority’s rationale that gays and […]

American stuff is the stuff of American history, as recorded in still life painting.

97% of scientists agree that humans are causing global warming, yet belief in climate change continues to depend on political beliefs above all else. 

Seeking to right past wrongs and bring privacy back into the hands of the people.

In the first Republican presidential debate earlier this month, John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, surprised many with a performance that seemed to rescue the concept of “compassionate conservatism” from […]

An influx of humans into any environment can mean trouble for the local animal population.

With Hubble, Spitzer and Chandra combined, we get a view like no other. “But I see it differently now. There has to be a middle. Without it, nothing can truly […]

The “constant points of light” in the sky are often anything but. “To be is to be the value of a variable.” –Willard Van Orman Quine We look up at […]

Why look for rare, precious metals on Earth when you can find them here? “Well, this is a thing unheard of. An Elf would go underground, where a Dwarf dare […]

How many cumulative hours have you wasted waiting for your chat partner to respond to you? A new program created by an MIT Ph.D. student offers an opportunity to make your instant message intermissions as productive as possible.

Apes share some very human characteristics, displaying intelligence, language, and now, possibly, speech. So, what does it mean to be human, exactly?

If you took all the energy out of something, you’d reach absolute zero, the coldest temperature of all. But is there a highest temperature? “Nothing is lost… Everything is transformed.” […]

Artists aren’t easy people to be around sometimes. Genius and jerk often walk hand in hand. They may suffer for their art, but those who support them often become collateral damage in the quest for immortality. Making a biopic of any artist and balancing the good with the bad seems an almost impossible task. Making a biopic of Pablo Picasso, a classic case study of the genius-as-jerk, that praises the painting while honestly assessing the collateral damage to women has never satisfactorily been filmed.  But where cinema fails, maybe the cinematic graphic novel can succeed.  The graphic novel Pablo, written by Julie Birmant and illustrated by Clément Oubrerie, is the best “film” ever made about one of the founding fathers of modern art — a portrait of intertwined genius and jerk that never loses sight of either side.

Experts say hovering parents set our kids up for failure — but why is that, and what can we do to change?

There are lots of wrong reasons out there, but only one that matters. “The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in […]