George Dyson talks with Martin Eiermann about the definition of life, human progress, and the importance of cognitive autarchy.
Most of the more than 6,000 species of frogs in the world lay their eggs in water. But many tropical frogs lay their eggs out of water. This behavior protects the eggs from aquatic predators, such as fish and tadpoles, but also increases their risk of drying out. Justin Touchon, post-doctoral fellow at the Smithsonian…
Though birds, trees, and orchids call the tropical rain forest home, they are immensely outnumbered by tiny arthropods, such as insects, spiders and millipedes. In the past, scientists had trouble estimating how many arthropods exist in the vastness of a forest. But thanks to new methods of sampling and analysis, researchers now think that over…
The balance of nature and nurture in influencing how a child grows up varies depending on where they live, according to a new study.
Researchers believe the nation’s food supply may be vulnerable to rapid groundwater depletion from irrigated agriculture. The study, which appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, paints the highest resolution picture yet of how groundwater depletion varies across space and time in California’s Central Valley and the High Plains of the…
The late astronaut Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, was memorialized in ceremonies around the country on Aug. 31. Armstrong, 82, passed away Aug. 25 due to complications resulting from cardiovascular surgery, which he underwent earlier this month. In July 1969, Armstrong commanded Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission. His first words…
Jaron Lanier coined the term virtual reality and now regrets it, he’s a computer genius and a philosophic genius and an experimental musician with a collection of instruments from around the world.