Superstar athletes are revered for their physical prowess, not for what goes on between their ears. And most postgame interviews do little to challenge the notion that athletes have more brawn than brains. But brainpower has a vital role in elite sports performance, recent research shows. “Brawn plays a part, but there’s a whole lot more to it than that,” says John Milton, a neuroscientist at the Claremont Colleges in California. Whether on the court, field or course, the body depends on the brain for direction. But the brain is a busy taskmaster, with duties beyond guiding motion, ma... (p. 22)

Glaciers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres advance and retreat together.

Evolutionary shifts about 52 million and 16 million years ago led to the group structures observed today, researchers argue.

Spectacular web designs trace back to a single spider origin.

Evidence in teeth suggests that sauropods sought greener pastures in dry North American summers. (p. 12)