Reviews
- Planetary Science
‘Mars Rover Curiosity’ chronicles robot’s journey
Engineer Rob Manning recounts the decade of victories and setbacks that preceded Curiosity’s landing on Mars.
- Animals
‘Planet of the Bugs’ reveals the secrets to insects’ success
Entomologist Scott Richard Shaw explores the evolution of insects and how they came to rule the world.
By Sid Perkins - Ecosystems
Help scientists find floating forests of kelp
By looking for signs of kelp in satellite images, citizen scientists can help researchers keep track of the world’s seaweed forests.
- Health & Medicine
Interactive map tracks obesity in the United States
An interactive online map illustrates the rise in U.S. obesity since 1990.
By Nathan Seppa - Environment
Human ingenuity takes on Mother Nature in ‘The Big Ratchet’
Geographer Ruth DeFries explains how technological innovations have allowed humans to overcome environmental challenges throughout history.
- Science & Society
‘Fantastic Lab’ recounts battle against typhus, Nazis
Arthur Allen explores how two European scientists produced typhus vaccines during World War II.
- Ecosystems
‘Where Do Camels Belong?’ explores invasive species
Ecologist Ken Thompson takes a closer look at the impacts (or lack thereof) of invasive species.
- Tech
‘Virtual Unreality’ chronicles dangers of digital deception
Journalist Charles Seife documents how the lies and misinformation that riddle the Internet are harming the real world.
By Janet Raloff - Paleontology
‘Dinosaur 13’ details custody battle for largest T. rex
Documentary details nasty custody battle over the dinosaur nicknamed Sue, the largest T. rex skeleton ever found.
By Meghan Rosen - Science & Society
‘Enlightening Symbols’ shows how math’s language arose
From numerals to infinity, symbols have advanced mathematical thinking.
- Health & Medicine
‘NOVA’ takes science’s side in vaccine debate
A TV documentary dissects concerns about vaccinations and spells out the science supporting their use.
By Nathan Seppa - Cosmology
Cosmologist’s ‘Cosmic Cocktail’ is a refreshing read
Katherine Freese shares her insights as a scientist studying dark matter and other mysterious components of the universe.
By Andrew Grant