Brain
Explainer: How our eyes make sense of light
It takes a lot for images before the eyes to be 'seen.' It starts by special cells sensing the light, then signals relaying those data to the brain.
Featured Articles in this Issue
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Cover Story
Will the woolly mammoth return?
Scientists are using genetic engineering and cloning to try to bring back extinct species or save endangered ones. Here’s how and why.
Explainer
Technically Fiction
Physics
Staying grounded in space requires artificial gravity
On TV, people in space walk around like they’re on Earth. How can science give real astronauts artificial gravity? Spin right round, baby.
Profile
Earth
An accident didn’t stop this geologist from doing field work
Anita Marshall works to make it easier for other people with physical disabilities to pursue a research career.
Features
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What can ‘silent earthquakes’ teach us about the next Big One?
Earthquakes usually last seconds. But sometimes, they can last days, or even years. Here’s what scientists are learning about these “slow-slip events.”
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Will the woolly mammoth return?
Scientists are using genetic engineering and cloning to try to bring back extinct species or save endangered ones. Here’s how and why.
More Stories from the June 1, 2022 issue
- Physics
Here’s why ducklings swim in a row behind mom
Baby ducks save energy by surfing their mother’s waves, but only if they do it in an orderly line.
- Tech
Will you learn better from reading on screen or on paper?
Some studies find students don’t learn as well by reading on screens as from paper. But that's not always true. Here’s how to make the most of reading in either format.
- Brain
Americans tend to see imaginary faces as male, not female
When people see imaginary faces in everyday objects, those faces are more likely to be perceived as male than female.
- Tech
Bye-bye batteries? Power a phone with fabric or a beacon with sound
New piezoelectric systems produce electricity in unusual ways, such as when a certain nylon bends or underwater ceramics vibrate.
- Materials Science
These colorful butterflies were printed with transparent ink
Clear ink creates a whole rainbow of colors when printed in precise, microscopic patterns. This phenomenon is known as structural color.
- Chemistry
Rock Candy Science 2: No such thing as too much sugar
Making rock candy at home takes a lot more sugar than you might think. Why? This experiment will show you why.
