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The massive damage humans have done to the natural world has provoked a backlash that could be just as dangerous, or more. There is a growing global rejection of technology and almost anything human-made in favor of whatever is more ‘natural.’ But a simplistic rejection of modern technologies eliminates many of our best options for solving the problems we’ve created.

Research suggests that cold showers are an effective way of boosting the circulation system while also offering mood-lifting benefits on the side.

There’s no such thing as absolute time, but after 13.8 billion years, is anything relatively different? “The total number of people who understand relativistic time, even after eighty years since […]

Is looking for radio transmissions in space like claiming the lack of smoke signals means there are no modern humans? “[W]hat Fermi immediately realized was that the aliens have had […]

Every year in Japan, a giant penis festival is held, while in America, Chrissy Teigen’s nipple is banned. When will we get over our sexual Puritanism? 

Research suggests that making a new friend doesn’t have to be anxiety-inducing, just bond over your shared social anxiety.

Telecommuting breeds bad habits. It’s a good idea to adopt a schedule replete with forays out into the sunlight, as work breaks boost productivity.

Frozen water at the poles of the moon represents a potential cash cow for firms that want to capitalize on the emerging private space industry.

The study of when too much of a good thing can kill you — about 16 glasses every day.

The most important lessons about Earth come from looking outward. “We came all this way to explore the Moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth.” […]

It’s not just leaps and breakthroughs, but a way of thinking and a way of life. Are you in? “When I say, ‘I love you,’ it’s not because I want […]

There’s a saying: Put a sweater on if your mother feels cold. It may seem silly, but a recent study shows that feeling cold can, indeed, be contagious.

For every good deed, people feel they have license to do a little bad. For shoppers who bring reusable bags, that may just mean some extra chips in the shopping cart.

A new sensor device, developed by a Stanford Ph.D. student, promises to change the way students, educators, and science enthusiasts explore the world — from elementary school to the Ph.D. lab and beyond.

How you empathize with a stranger all depends on how stressed you are in that moment. A recent study shows that stress hormones have the power to “veto” our empathic abilities.

Now that New Horizons has flown by the Plutonian system, can it be considered a planet after all? “Words are the source of misunderstandings.” –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Back in 1930, […]

Former NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen comments on the consequences of climate change in the Arctic and why geopolitical tensions are growing in the region.

Ever feel powerless to help a cause you believe in because its troubles are a great distance away? Just because you’re far from the Brazilian rainforest or the polar ice caps or Mt. Everest doesn’t mean you can’t play an important role in protecting those places.

If you’re afraid that your shoddy pipes will burst during a spate of cold weather like our current one, try letting your faucet drip a little now to save a whole lot of hassle later.

How an experiment high above Antarctica — Spider — sheds new light on the cosmic microwave background. Observations of the cosmic microwave background continue to capture public attention, highlighted these last few weeks in […]

Boston’s aging infrastructure is leaking methane gas into the atmosphere at levels much higher than originally suspected, hurting the environment and the regional economy.

For destruction, ice is also great, and will suffice. “Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desireI hold with those who favor […]

In 1933, the temperature in the Siberian village of Oymyakon reached a balmy -90ºF/-67ºC, making it the planet’s coldest place. About 500 residents call the village home today.

If our “standard candles” aren’t so standard, is dark energy still real? “Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desireI hold with […]

Scientists have broaden the criteria for what makes a planet hospitable. Researchers dispute that even if a planet were tilted on its side, it could sustain life, so long as its surface is covered in water.

It won’t solve everything, but there’s something we can all do to help sequester carbon. It’s as easy as planting a tree. “I believe that we are here for each […]

WIRED’s Mat Honan argues that recent advances in the way tablets foster communication should serve as a death knell for traditional phone plans.

How do these little wonders work? Instant flameless warmth occurs via simple chemistry and iron oxidation. 

Coffee and chocolate are at risk because of the climate shift. By as early as 2050, you may look back on Starbuck’s coffee prices and think they were a deal.

Recent research indicates that humans under stress may exert and unnecessary amount of effort in order to get what they want. But they’ll feel no more pleasure from the reward than someone not under strain.