Life Science

Our planet has been through five mass extinctions, and some experts say we're heading into our sixth. What can we learn from the past events — and the animals that survived — to make sure we humans can stick around?

By Clint Pumphrey

Fast-forward 60 years. Imagine looking at yourself in the mirror. My, you look amazing, and goodness you run a speedy ultramarathon for someone so "old." Is this what transhumanism is all about?

By Meisa Salaita

Does your brain experience the kind of back-ups you see during your commute? Or are your neurons prone to road rage?

By Bambi Turner

Any kid knows that cuddling a plush toy is comforting. But with robotics added to the fluffy mix, stuffed animals can become therapeutic for elderly dementia patients.

By Maria Trimarchi

Your body replaces billions (with a b!) of cells every day. In about 100 days, 30 trillion be replaced, but does that mean you're a new person, too?

By Chris Opfer & Allison Troutner

Humans are a diverse lot. And although we sometimes confuse ethnicity, race and nationality, they are not the same.

By John Donovan

The part of your cells that helps you recover from a hangover is shaped like a maze of tubes and is made of two parts — the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum.

By Jesslyn Shields & Yara Simón

A society run by women doesn't have to be the mirror opposite of one run by men. What does a matriarchy look like, and is it possible you're already living in one?

By Jessika Toothman

These majestic trees send their roots down in pillars from branch to ground, can form a canopy over 80 feet high and can live to be 250 years old.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Happiness is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, it can also be elusive due to stress or depression. However, strategies abound that you can use to trick yourself into being happy. Ready for 10 of them?

By Josh Clark & Jessika Toothman

Pollen grains are, in essence, plant sperm. But how do the grains get where they need to go, and what's the advantage of trusting your genetic future to the winds?

By Jessika Toothman

Amanita phalloides is non-native to the North American continent, introduced to California from Europe, and rapidly spreading.

By Tara Yarlagadda

Many of Sigmund Freud's well-known theories have been discredited by modern psychiatry. Does that include the Oedipus complex?

By John Donovan

Laughter may be the best medicine, but can it actually cure an illness? Some doctors are prescribing a daily case of the giggles along with conventional treatments.

By Victoria Vogt

Found along beaches and in the mangrove swamps of tropical climates, the fruit of the manchineel tree was called the 'little apple of death' by Spanish conquistadors.

By Katie Carman

If you swim like a fish or run like a cheetah, you may understand biomimicry better than you realize. The practice involves imitating models in nature to improve technology and design.

By Robert Lamb

Viruses need hosts to replicate and reproduce. So if a virus has no host, how long can it survive? It depends on a lot of factors.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Are you a person who likes to be social but also values some alone time? You are? How did we guess without knowing you? Welcome to the Barnum effect.

By Kate Kershner

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