“An exquisite mix of fear and awe, pleasure and pain, the sublime stretches the imagination and reveals the limits of reason.”
science
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Doctor, the Biohacker, and the Quest to Treat Their Long COVID
“In their desperate search for answers, two men are bonded by their quest to feel like themselves again.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Unbearable Loudness of Chewing
“Why do some people find certain sounds intolerable? And why has it taken so long for scientists to get even a preliminary answer?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How to Build a Human
“A forensics company tells cops it can use DNA to predict a suspect’s face. Scientists worry the tool will deepen racial bias.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Long Quest for Artificial Blood
“One of the most valuable substances in the world has never been replicated. Are we close?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Why the West Needs Prairie Dogs
“They’re among the region’s most despised species, but some tribes, researchers and landowners are racing to save them.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Quest to Turn Human Waste Into Medicine
“After success in early stage trials, MaaT Pharma is on the verge of becoming the first company to have an approved microbiome-related product for cancer care.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Animals as Chemical Factories
“Horses bled for antivenom, crabs drained for endotoxin tests, and silkworms boiled for silk. Science can now replace these practices with synthetic alternatives — but we need to find ways to scale them.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Geoengineering Could Alter Global Climate. Should It?
“Scientists and companies increasingly support blocking some sunlight to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Eating the Earth
“The burgeoning global food trade is a lifeline for billions, but it is fragile and hard on the planet.”