How can the James Webb Space Telescope see so far?

The James Webb Space Telescope has 2 powerful instruments that see light the human eye can’t.

Adi Foord, Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
today ~9 min

How do atoms form? A physicist explains where the atoms that make up everything around come from

Almost everything on Earth is made up of atoms, but where do these fundamental building blocks come from?

Stephen L. Levy, Associate Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Astronomy, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
June 23, 2025 ~8 min


Is Mars really red? A physicist explains the planet’s reddish hue and why it looks different to some telescopes

Mars isn’t a bright, fire-engine red, but the iron oxide in its rocks makes it appear redder than other planets, especially from afar.

David Joffe, Associate Professor of Physics, Kennesaw State University • conversation
June 16, 2025 ~7 min

If people stopped having babies, how long would it be before humans were all gone?

Even though there are 8 billion people on Earth today, a catastrophe could send that number much lower within a few decades.

Michael A. Little, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
June 9, 2025 ~8 min

Can you upload a human mind into a computer? A neuroscientist ponders what’s possible

Science has done many things that seem miraculous. Why not transfer your consciousness to a machine?

Dobromir Rahnev, Associate Professor of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology • conversation
May 23, 2025 ~7 min

In what order did the planets in our solar system form?

The biggest planets hogged a lot of the raw materials and were fully formed first.

Lucas Brefka, Ph.D. Student in Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State • conversation
May 19, 2025 ~6 min

How was the Earth built?

The Earth started as a mixture of gas and dust around the Sun and grew as it collided with asteroids and dust particles.

Alexander E. Gates, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science, Rutgers University - Newark • conversation
May 5, 2025 ~6 min

How does soap keep you clean? A chemist explains the science of soap

Taking a bath may not be your favorite thing to do, but it will help keep you clean and healthy.

Paul E. Richardson, Professor of Biochemistry, Coastal Carolina University • conversation
April 28, 2025 ~7 min


Why don’t humans have hair all over their bodies? A biologist explains our lack of fur

Human beings don’t have a thick coat of fur like many other mammals do. Scientists think it has to do with something else that comes out of skin: sweat.

Maria Chikina, Assistant Professor of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
April 21, 2025 ~6 min

Are twins allergic to the same things?

An allergic reaction happens when your immune system overreacts to something that should be harmless. Whether that happens can be thanks to your genes, your environment or a combination.

Breanne Hayes Haney, Allergy and Immunology Fellow-in-Training, School of Medicine, West Virginia University • conversation
April 14, 2025 ~8 min

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