Life
All Stories
Surprising behavior of bees during total solar eclipses discovered
A buzzworthy study looks at the strange actions of bees.
‘Aquatic life is bathing in a soup of antidepressants,’ says marine biologist
Antidepressants are destroying underwater ecosystems, which we in turn eat.
Doctors in Scotland can now prescribe nature to their patients
Take one long stroll, four times a week.
Judge blocks first planned hunt of Yellowstone grizzly bears in over 40 years
People were about to start hunting grizzly bears in Yellowstone again, for the first time in 40 years. Thankfully, that has now been blocked.
Gay couples may soon be able to have their own biological kids
Human egg cells can now be created from donor blood — a brave new world is upon us.
Why the world needs death to prosper
Scientists have developed new ways of understanding how the biological forces of death drive important life processes.
Why birds fly south for the winter—and more about bird migration
What do we see from watching birds move across the country?
Scientists sequence the genome of this threatened species
If you want to know what makes a Canadian lynx a Canadian lynx a team of DNA sequencers has figured that out.
To save ourselves, half of Earth needs to be given to animals
We're more dependent on them than we realize.
Pablo Escobar’s hippos: Why drug lords shouldn’t play God
Roaming horny hippos obtained illegally by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar? It's a heck of a true story.
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Will robots rule the world?
And other big questions we explored on our first day at the World Science Festival.
Can we ever trust man-made AI?
Max Tegmark says we're smart enough to make it. But are we wise enough?
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How Schopenhauer’s thought can illuminate a midlife crisis
When you're in a midlife crisis, success can seem like failure.
Why a ‘genius’ scientist thinks our consciousness originates at the quantum level
Do our minds have quantum structures that give rise to consciousness? Sir Roger Penrose, one of the world's most famous scientists, believes this and can explain how he thinks it works.
Bryan Cranston: the journey from ‘Party Boy #2’ to movie star
How do you go from background extra to leading man? Listen to acting legend Bryan Cranston's pragmatic advice.
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Want to be an artist? Why passion is more important than planning
The acting giant talks about how those in the corporate and business worlds could take a page from artists... simply by embracing a reward system not rooted in hard metrics.
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5 min
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The death of dinosaurs allowed mammals to ditch nocturnal behavior, study finds
Have you ever wondered why modern-day mammals have adaptations for nighttime activity? A new study suggests dinosaurs might be the reason.
Life Is Short, But It Doesn’t Have to Be Shallow—How to Capture Deep Hope
Capitalism has hijacked our emotions and rewired us for instant gratification—but we can reclaim our lives by practicing deep hope.
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5 min
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Science Is Starting to Explore the Gray Zone Between Life and Death
French researchers recently roused a patient out of a vegetative state.
You’re Not Fast Enough to Swat a Fly—Here’s Why
Flies are in no way smart, but they experience time in an almost Matrix-like way.
Embryonic Human DNA Has Just Been Successfully Repaired in the U.S.
U.S. scientists have successfully repaired DNA in a human embryo for the first time.
A Philosophical Guide to Coping with Life, Death, and Sour Grapes
Can you have hope in the face of death? For believers this is somewhat easier, but non-theists require a different set of philosophical tools.
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11 min
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Artificial intelligence? What about artificial creativity?
The World Science Festival just wrapped earlier this month. Here's 4 top World Science Festival sessions that ORBITER recommends.
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Does E.T. have extra-terrestrial rights?
Exploring the ramifications of consciousness in alien life.
Humans Are Less Genetically Diverse Than Wheat. What Does That Mean for Our Species?
A cataclysmic event in our past may have led to this situation.
Your brain makes moral judgements—and it may be making mistakes
Ever heard a story that made you sick to your stomach? There is neurological wizardry at work that makes our sense of morality so visceral—and flawed.
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In Evolution’s Orchestra, Soloists Aren’t the Fittest
A chorus of new science is showing that evolution has orchestrated life to leave no room for solos. A grander view of life is revealing higher-level, need-centric relational logic patterns (as in David Haskell’s The Songs of Trees).