Life Science

We're used to taking the phrase "survival of the fittest" to mean it's an "every man for himself" world. But some animals (like worker bees) sacrifice themselves to ensure their species lives on. Why would they do this?

By Dave Roos

If dinosaurs hadn't gone extinct, you wouldn't exist. Extinction may seem inherently bad, but sometimes the death of a species encourages new life.

By Karen Kirkpatrick

Nostalgia, contrary to centuries of common knowledge, appears to be a good thing. A really good thing.

By Julia Layton

Orchids might be the sexiest flower in the greenhouse. Its very name comes from the Greek word for "testicle!" And its reproduction methods are pretty exotic too.

By Alia Hoyt & Desiree Bowie

You've probably experienced that moment where you're driving, get lost, turn down the radio, and then think, "Why did I just do that?"

By Maria Trimarchi

Pain is subjective - what is excruciating to you might be tolerable to me. Which is why it's so difficult to measure and control.

By Jennifer Sellers

Neanderthals and humans coexisted for thousands of years, but the relationship between the two species was always a bit dysfunctional. Could we get reacquainted with our evolutionary peers?

By Robert Lamb

Since Charles Darwin published the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, myths and misinterpretations have eroded public understanding of his ideas. Ready to take another look at one of the related questions that just won't die?

By William Harris & Sascha Bos

Wouldn't it be nice to grow crops that grew 50 percent more than current varieties? How about a strain of vegetables that were safe from insects without using pesticides? Agricultural biotechnology can do that.

By Jonathan Strickland & Austin Henderson

You yearn to peer out the window of an SUV and watch a Tyrannosaurus rex lumber into a clearing. Your home movie of said event would be a YouTube sensation. Could it ever happen?

By Robert Lamb

Depending on whom and when you ask, everything from same-sex smooching to punk music portends the end of Western civilization. Do any of these cultural commentators have a case?

By Robert Lamb

Nearly every living cell is made of DNA, and every chromosome contains exactly one molecule of DNA. But not all cells are made of the same number of chromosomes.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Humans are a diverse lot - which is good! The question of ethnicity vs. race vs. nationality is a source of much debate, even among experts.

By John Donovan

Cell division can be confusing, but it's not as difficult if you pretend chromosomes are sentences.

By Jesslyn Shields & Austin Henderson

While plant and animal cells are strikingly similar, there are a few key differences.

By Jesslyn Shields & Austin Henderson

People who hallucinate typically see, hear, feel, smell or otherwise experience things that simply aren't real. Often, these sensory fake-outs indicate a serious medical condition.

By Alia Hoyt

When an electron loses its partner, it creates a free radical. So is that free radical now potentially hazardous to your health?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Yep, fungi are all around us - in the grocery store, in the woods or living on your discolored toenail. And fungi can break down almost anything.

By Jesslyn Shields

How do we consider a Thing with no edge? Ecosystem ecologists are always trying.

By Jesslyn Shields

No life, except possibly very small bacteria, would exist on Earth without photosynthesis.

By Jesslyn Shields

Emotionally sensitive people sometimes get a bad rap from others. But being an empath can be a gift, as long as you take care of it. So how do you know if you're one?

By Alia Hoyt

Chloroplasts are where some of the most miraculous chemistry on Earth goes down.

By Jesslyn Shields

You probably feel like you have very little in common with that banana lying on your kitchen counter. But science says you do! So, how is this possible? And is that stat accurate? We talk to the scientist who did the research.

By Alia Hoyt

On Johns Island, South Carolina, stands an oak tree so big and beautiful that people come just to stand under its branches and feel the magic.

By Patty Rasmussen

We all know what it feels like to be burned out. But does that really mean that our brain is tired? And is it the same as when other muscles tire out?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.