When Bad Things Happen in Slow Motion
Nautilus | Science Connected

    
      
          
            
              
                            
            
            
              
                    
                    
                  
          
          
              
            
          
          
        
    
    
  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Astronomy                
                              
                        
            
              Sky Gazing on Mars            
          
          You sit down on a sandy dune and tilt your head back.
          
            By John Moores & Jesse Rogerson 
            
              
                November 7, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Sociology                
                              
                        
            
              Bustling Through the Physics of Crowds            
          
          A comic uses fluid dynamics to explain how groups of people move—and how that could help make large gatherings safer.
          
            By Matthew R. Francis 
            
              
                November 6, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Astronomy                
                              
                        
            
              How to Drill for Extraterrestrial Life on Europa            
          
          The formidable challenge of digging through miles of ice millions of miles away.
          
            By Tom Metcalfe 
            
              
                November 5, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Zoology                
                              
                        
            
              This Bee Is Thriving            
          
          Adaptability is this wild pollinator’s superpower.
          
            By April Reese 
            
              
                November 6, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Zoology                
                              
                        
            
              Rats in Vests Sniff Out Wildlife Trade            
          
          They can identify pangolin scales, rhino horn, and elephant ivory.
          
            By Summer Rylander 
            
              
                November 4, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Environment                
                              
                        
            
              The Mystery of the Siberian Craters            
          
          Why permafrost in the tundra has begun to explode.
          
            By Lisa S. Gardiner 
            
              
                November 1, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

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                  Evolution                
                              
                        
            
              Motion Made Minds            
          
          The origins of consciousness according to Peter Godfrey-Smith. 
          
            By Viviane Callier 
            
              
                October 25, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Psychology                
                              
                        
            
              When Do We Have Free Choice?            
          
          Two psychologists explain how we think about freedom.
          
            By Corey Cusimano & Tania Lombrozo 
            
              
                October 21, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Psychology                
                              
                        
            
              Can Ecstasy Save a Marriage?            
          
          A new wave of experimental therapy is enlisting MDMA in relationship counseling.
          
            By Ben Seal 
            
              
                October 10, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Communication                
                              
                        
            
              If You Meet ET in Space, Kill Him            
          
          Should an alien species resist, we will have discovered life.
          
            By George Musser 
            
              
                October 3, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Physics                
                              
                        
            
              Feeling Gravity’s Pull            
          
          Two theoretical physicists have a lively conversation about how abstract concepts can feel down-to-Earth.
          
            By Fotini Markopoulou 
            
              
                September 13, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Geoscience                
                              
                        
            
              The Odds That Aliens Exist Just Got Worse            
          
          How geology resolves the Fermi paradox. 
          
            By Marcia Bjornerud 
            
              
                July 17, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Paleontology                
                              
                        
            
              Lucy at 50            
          
          Donald Johanson reflects on his fossil discovery that shook the human family tree a half century ago.
          
            By Dan Falk 
            
              
                October 18, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Zoology                
                              
                        
            
              Ranchers, Cattle, Tequila, and Bats            
          
          A tale of ecological salvation in Mexico. 
          
            By Hillary Rosner 
            
              
                October 14, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Health                
                              
                        
            
              The Anatomical Quirk That Saved Dr. No            
          
          A wild tale of how scientists unraveled embryology’s most fascinating mystery.
          
            By John Wallingford 
            
              
                October 11, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  History                
                              
                        
            
              How the Occult Gave Birth to Science            
          
          For scientists of yore anything—from mermaids to alchemy—was on the table. 
          
            By Dale Markowitz 
            
              
                October 30, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Psychology                
                              
                        
            
              Why We Ghost            
          
          The psychology of people who cut off all communication—and how that affects their partners.
          
            By Alice Fleerackers 
            
              
                October 23, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Communication                
                              
                        
            
              I Was Made of Language            
          
          The true container of the human soul.
          
            By Julie Sedivy 
            
              
                October 17, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Geoscience                
                              
                        
            
              High Mountains, Ancient Shells, and the Wonder of Deep Time            
          
          Learning to appreciate the big picture.
          
            By Katy Kelleher 
            
              
                August 7, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Environment                
                              
                        
            
              How We Solved the Hole in the Ozone            
          
          A scientist’s first-hand account shows the world can tackle a global environmental crisis.
          
            By Susan Solomon 
            
              
                July 3, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Environment                
                              
                        
            
              The Oldest Ecosystems on Earth            
          
          What they teach us about resilience. 
          
            By Ferris Jabr 
            
              
                June 10, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Zoology                
                              
                        
            
              Giant Clams Are Marvels of Solar Energy            
          
          What we can learn from the critically endangered species.
          
            By Brian Gallagher 
            
              
                October 30, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Technology                
                              
                        
            
              Speaking With Whales            
          
          AI could help us understand what whales are saying. But should we talk back?
          
            By Katarina Zimmer 
            
              
                September 30, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Zoology                
                              
                        
            
              The Strange Romance of Seahorses            
          
          A marine biologist and photographer gets up close and personal with mysterious pygmy seahorses.
          
            By Richard Smith 
            
              
                September 27, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Philosophy                
                              
                        
            
              The Reality Ouroboros            
          
          Toward a new understanding of the nature of reality.
          
            By David Krakauer & David Wolpert 
            
              
                September 4, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Math                
                              
                        
            
              Why Physics Is Unreasonably Good at Creating New Math            
          
          The secret sauce is the real world.
          
            By Ananyo Bhattacharya 
            
              
                September 3, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Psychology                
                              
                        
            
              What Makes a Memory Real?            
          
          Changing the narrative on false memories might be surprisingly simple.
          
            By Jim Davies 
            
              
                September 2, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

  
          
        
          
                      
                
                  Arts                
                              
                        
            
              The Soviet Rebel of Music            
          
          He composed on a computer in a dangerous time. His echo is still heard today.
          
            By Grigori Guitchounts 
            
              
                April 30, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Zoology                
                              
                        
            
              The Animals That Turn Bodily Fluids into Weapons            
          
          Four explosive tales of blood, spit, and venom.
          
            By Kristen French 
            
              
                April 29, 2024              
            
          
        
      
                  
        
          
                      
                
                  Communication                
                              
                        
            
              How Whales Could Help Us Speak to Aliens            
          
          Learning to decode complex communication on Earth may give us a leg up if intelligent life from space makes contact.
          
            By Claire Cameron 
            
              
                April 26, 2024              
            
          
        
      
              

    
          
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Your Cat Is Listening to You          
        
        
          By Elena Kazamia
          
            
              October 31, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Felines may be able to learn human words.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Climate vs. Invasive Species          
        
        
          By Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright
          
            
              October 28, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Which foe is looming largest for native plants along the Yangtze River?        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            And New Yorkers Think the Gowanus Canal Is Bad          
        
        
          By Hugh Aldersey-Williams
          
            
              October 25, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Scientist Michael Faraday’s 1855 letter about the “feculence” of the River Thames.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Yes, We Can Care About People Who Don’t Exist Yet          
        
        
          By Jim Davies
          
            
              October 24, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          How to jumpstart our empathy for future generations.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Subverting Reality Through Art          
        
        
          By The Nautilus Marketing Team
          
            
              October 23, 2024            
          
                      
              
                Art+Science              
            
                  
        
          A conversation with artist Tim O’Brien.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Life Will Find a Way          
        
        
          By John Steele
          
            
              October 23, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          A new exhibition highlights the persistence of organisms from lichens to polar bears to us.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Whale Sharks on Collision Course          
        
        
          By Avery Schuyler Nunn
          
            
              October 22, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          As oceans warm, marine creatures are moving into shipping lanes.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            The Demolition Ants          
        
        
          By Liz Lindqwister
          
            
              October 21, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          The wood ant stalks its prey in colonies of thousands.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Solving the Riddle of Ceres          
        
        
          By Guananí Gómez-Van Cortright
          
            
              October 18, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          New evidence suggests the dwarf planet was a muddy ocean world that froze over time.         
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            The Mystery of the Cave Cats           
        
        
          By Katharine Gammon
          
            
              October 17, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Ice age skeletons could reveal secrets of small cat evolution.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Death By Plastic          
        
        
          By Liz Lindqwister
          
            
              October 16, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          The blunt impact of ocean pollution, in one photograph.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            What Language Reveals About Us          
        
        
          By Julie Sedivy
          
            
              October 15, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Julie Sedivy on the 3 greatest revelations she had while writing her new book Linguaphile.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            “This Is a Great Day with Me”          
        
        
          By Hugh Aldersey-Williams
          
            
              October 14, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Alexander Graham Bell reflects on the very first telephone call in a letter to his father.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            The Most Detailed Brain Map Ever          
        
        
          By Grace Ebert
          
            
              October 11, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Scientists have created a magnificent portrait of every connection among neurons in a fruit fly’s brain.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Nihilism with a Purpose          
        
        
          By Nick Hilden
          
            
              October 10, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake reveals why politics won’t save us.        
      
    
        
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            How Reality Shapes Our Language—and Vice Versa          
        
        
          By The Nautilus Marketing Team
          
            
              October 10, 2024            
          
                  
        
          A conversation with UCLA philosophy professor Josh Armstrong.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            7 of the World’s Strangest Plants          
        
        
          By Mikael Angelo Francisco
          
            
              October 9, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          These plants feature some seriously funky adaptations.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            Light Pollution Is Making Fish Anxious          
        
        
          By Elena Kazamia
          
            
              October 8, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          The next generation is still feeling the effects.        
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            A Crystal Forest          
        
        
          By Elena Kazamia
          
            
              October 7, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          A scientist’s failed experiment yields a contest-winning photo.         
      
    
        
              
            
                  
      
      
                  
                
          
            When Earth Had Rings          
        
        
          By Sean Raymond
          
            
              October 4, 2024            
          
                      
              
                The Porthole              
            
                  
        
          A new way of thinking about the history of the Earth.        
      
    
        
  



