On the Alien Question: Where Are They?
The great physicist Enrico Fermi asked this question in the 1950s. There are more than 50 possible "solutions" to Fermi's Paradox: Here, Marcelo explores a few.
November 22, 2017
The Interdependence of Humanity and Earth
We owe our existence to little photosynthetic bacteria — but there is much more to this story, as life can only mutate and adapt when the planet offers the right conditions.
November 15, 2017
When the State Sinks, Science Is the Anchor
As history has shown, political and ideological repression passes — but scientific knowledge remains.
November 2, 2017
A New Era for Astronomy has Begun
Astronomy is forever changed by the viewing of the collision of neutron stars; we can now watch these processes in many different ways as they run their course.
October 24, 2017
Brazil's Deep Cuts to Science Funding Will Lock Country in the Past
Scientists worldwide have watched Brazil's budget cuts in shock. We, too, could see trouble ahead if flat U.S. federal spending without additional corporate funding continues.
October 18, 2017
Nobel Winners' Work in Physics Began With Albert Einstein
Three scientists won the prize after a 25-year-long search of the cosmos for gravitational waves — the waving of space — the one test missing for Einstein.
October 11, 2017
When 2 Black Holes Dance, Space Quivers
Just as two kids jumping on a trampoline around each other send waves rippling outwards on the fabric, black holes distort space as they orbit around each other.
October 4, 2017
Cassini's Spectacular Legacy — and Nod to the Future
Following on Cassini's discoveries, NASA aims to probe Jupiter's Europa for potential life. With every new world we discover, we should look back at our own planet with awe.
September 27, 2017
Is the Apocalypse Coming? No, it Isn't!
Biblical literalists affirm in The Sign that Sept. 23 is the day the end comes as prophesied in Revelation. Fortunately, the film doesn't only present this version of the story.
September 20, 2017
Hurricanes: A Science Primer
We know how damaging and costly, in many ways, such natural phenomena can be — but the devastation is not surprising, once you know how much energy is involved.
September 13, 2017
When Nature Teaches Us How to Be Human
As global warming changes the planet, we will experience many severe weather events. How we fare will depend largely on how well we preserve our best qualities — and community.
September 6, 2017
To Infinity and Beyond: Celebrating 40 Years of the Voyager Mission
The Farthest: Voyager In Space, airing August 30 on PBS, celebrates a technological and intellectual achievement rarely matched in history — one that has forever changed us.
August 30, 2017
At CERN, Hunting for Invisible Worlds
With so many dedicated to solving nature's riddles at CERN, it's hard not to think of it as a modern cathedral, a link between reason and mystery, a place of pilgrimage.
August 23, 2017
At CERN, in Search of Nature's Building Blocks
In a world so divided by cultural and economic warfare, what happens at the European laboratory for particle physics stands out as a celebration of the best we have to offer.
August 16, 2017
Why We Are Naively Optimistic About Climate Change
Unfortunately, we are failing in the goal to make our children's world better than our own — and those who deny it won't have to see the consequences of their choices.
August 9, 2017
Running and Your Heart: Is There a 'Too Much?'
While there is no question that exercise is good for you, the question now is whether there is an upper line we should not cross.
August 2, 2017
Viewing The Great American Eclipse
There's something deeply moving about watching the sun become progressively covered by the moon — and you have a rare chance to see this in the U.S. on Aug. 21.
July 26, 2017
Is the Universe Conscious?
The idea of a conscious universe seems to fly in the face of our deep-seated materialist worldview, whereby all existence is due to material particles and their interactions.
July 19, 2017
Why Are American Runners Getting Slower?
A new mega-study has found that American runners, except for the elites, are getting slower. Marcelo discusses with the authors some theories on why this is the case.
July 12, 2017
Is a No-Meat World Really Better?
It is clear that less meat is good morally and environmentally, but no meat may not be as good as some may think.
July 5, 2017