The best way to defend everything we really do know, according to science, is to begin by admitting our own ignorance — to ask "What don't you know?," says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
In response to a report of "heroic" behavior by a female mountain gorilla aiming to protect her baby, anthropologist Barbara J. King explores questions of conscious awareness of infanticide in apes.
Mary Shelley cautioned us of the dangers of extending science into realms where we have little control of the outcomes; may we all read her tale — and take in its lessons, says Marcelo Gleiser.
Before you dismiss them as inhuman or inhumane, consider their dramatic personal histories — and their ancestor grande damme Eliza, says guest blogger Jimena Canales.
Psychologist Tania Lombrozo considers two books: In one, we learn what ancient Greece can tell us about Twitter trolls and, in the other, we're shown a world in which women have power over men.
From its first appearance, Star Trek has always been hopeful about the relationship between society and technology. Ethan Siegel doesn't lose sight of this in his book, Treknology, says Adam Frank.
Employing science's methodology is key — as it's the best antidote we have to the very human propensity to turn something we want to believe into a reality, says astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser.
Take five minutes of your day, watch this amazing video of the birth of a new island in Tonga, and let its story and science knock you to the floor, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
The present moment is made of a lot of pasts — and just as Scrooge's ghosts were really messengers of hope, the deepest truths of science and the infinite night are here for us, too, says Adam Frank.
The Last Jedi highlights the need for failure to find success, as the ongoing dynamic of The Force — the tug-of-war between good and evil — aptly defines our humanity, says Marcelo Gleiser.
If you involve your pets in holiday festivities, you'll immediately get why sanctuaries and nature centers fuss over their animals at this time of year, says anthropologist Barbara J. King.
As many families prepare for a visit from Santa, and some face questions about the jolly old man in the red suit, a new study looks at how children react to surprising claims, says Tania Lombrozo.
Guest bloggers Henry Wellman and Kimberly Brink reflect on their new study shedding light on how adults, older children and young children perceive human-like robots — and what the future might hold.
Oumuamua marks the first time humans have seen a visitor pass through our corner of the universe — renewing discussions of the origins of life, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.
When was the last time you got really excited by good science depicted in a movie? Anthropologist Barbara J. King joined scientists last week in helping producers make more accurate TV and movies.
The One Planet Summit went on without President Trump Tuesday. But state and local leaders in attendance renewed calls for adherence to the Paris Agreement targets, says blogger Marcelo Gleiser.
There's more to the scientific method than what you learn in high school: Scientists argue with each other, too, and the participation of nature, whose say is absolute, is key, says Adam Frank.
Ideas of parallel universes and alternative histories, once confined to mere rumination about lost opportunities and fictional scenarios, are now a part of science, says guest writer Paul Halpern.
In science, and in life, there is an artful balance between being cautious and adventurous; to find the balance takes experimentation, tolerance for mistakes, and humility, says Marcelo Gleiser.
More than 60 years after the physicist won the Nobel Prize, author David N. Schwartz considers how Fermi would react to today's science of black holes, genetic engineering and climate change.
Do people like Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins impact public opinion on how science and religion relate? Tania Lombrozo considers a study on the influence of big-name scientists on the debate.
Polynesia was colonized by the French and, even today, Polynesians are taught more about French history than their own. A new archaeological project aims to help change that, says Barbara J. King.
We are still as ignorant about the "passage from the physics of the brain to the corresponding facts of consciousness" as John Tyndall and his Victorian colleagues were, says Marcelo Gleiser.
