Hard Science
All Stories
EM Drive, the Impossible Rocket Engine, May Be Closer to Reality
The engine that could revolutionize space travel is pursued by scientists around the world.
The Next Trillion Dollar Industry Is Inside You — Literally
No pep talks here, just a prediction by innovation expert Alec Ross that gene code and precision medicine is set revolutionize life the same way that computer code has.
▸
4 min
—
with
UCLA Scientists “Jump-start” the Brain of a Coma Patient
UCLA researchers successfully use a new technique to "wake up" a patient after coma.
You Could You Be Surrounded by Tiny Black Holes and Not Even Know it
Each might be as heavy as an asteroid and as tiny as a decimal point.
Bill Nye’s Getting a Netflix Talk Show! Here’s Why You Need to Watch it
Look who went and got himself a talk show. Big Think's regular contributor Bill Nye will be on Netflix in 2017!
Astronomers Discover a Massive Galaxy Made Mostly of Dark Matter
Astronomers find a galaxy made almost entirely of dark matter.
This New Equation Promises to Unify Physics Theories with the Help of Wormholes
One of the fathers of string theory proposes a new equation that may reconcile general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Six Crew Members Emerge from Year-Long Mars Simulation
What kind of person could withstand a trip to Mars and back? NASA and Hi-SEAS is trying to find out.
Top Video of 2016 #8: ‘Hey Bill Nye, Could the Government Be Hiding Extraterrestrials From Us?’
Peel off your tin-foil hat like a Hershey’s Kiss, because Bill Nye has a reality check for the alien conspiracy theorists out there.
▸
6 min
—
with
NASA Is Putting Its Research Papers Online For Free
NASA will be putting most of the research it funds online for free in policy of open access to science.
Quantum Telepathy: Why Science Needs Weird Ideas to Advance
George Musser explains the central role of weirdness in physics, and shatters the dreams of those who hope humans can one day tap into psychic powers.
▸
4 min
—
with
NASA Successfully Tests the Engine That Will Take Us to Mars
NASA tests the engine for the most powerful rocket ever built, designed for deep-space missions.
Study: How Fish Fins Evolved to Become Human Fingers
A new study sheds light on the evolutionary connection between fish fins and human fingers.
Scientists Possibly Find “Revolutionary” Fifth Force of Nature
University of California, Irvine physicists may have discovered a new fundamental force of nature.
Science And Poetry Both Depend On Metaphors
Science's signature moves share something with good poetry. Good metaphor-making can make geniuses of both kinds. But bad metaphors can mislead whole fields.
How Genetic Engineering Will Change Our Lives
Genetic engineering, utilizing CRISPR, promises to change human lives by bringing an end to disease while irreversibly modifying our gene pool.
Scientists Identify the Common Ancestor to All Life on Earth
Researchers possibly identify LUCA, the common ancestor to all life on Earth, and figure out where it lived.
What’s behind a science vs. philosophy fight?
An old fight between philosophy and science has flared up again. Fortunately we have Rebecca Newberger Goldstein to help us sort out what's going.
52 Common Myths, Rumors and Falsehoods Debunked
A list debunking commonly believed falsehoods, misconceptions and just bad ideas.
15 signs you are smarter than average
A number of scientific studies find the traits shared by intelligent people.
King Tut’s dagger was fashioned from a meteorite, discover researchers
Technically, the knife's metal had extraterrestrial origins.
Scientists Discover a New Form of Light
Irish scientists make an unexpected discovery about light by devising a new experiment.
The 15-Year-Old Teen Who Discovered a Lost Mayan City Takes on His Critics
A Canadian teen who discovered a lost Mayan city via satellite imagery is not backing down from the critics.
Scientists Create Sperm from Human Skin to Cure Infertility
Spanish scientists utilize a revolutionary new technique to create sperm from skin in a potential cure for infertility.
How Zero Was Invented
Mathematician Dr. Hannah Fry tells the story of zero, a genius idea that transformed human progress.
Religious people are less smart but atheists are psychopaths
Your brain is the neural battleground of science and religion, with religious people and atheists differing in intelligence and empathy. Can the two extremes reconcile?
Why Don’t We Hear From Aliens? They May Encrypt All Their Data.
When Neil deGrasse Tyson recently sat down with infamous whistle blower Edward Snowden, the topic of alien encryption came into the mix.
Richard Dawkins Explains Natural Selection
The famed evolutionary biologist summarizes his research into the genetic basis of evolution.
▸
1 min
—
with