Bernini created art for 8 different popes. In the process, he helped reinforce and redefine Christianity’s visual culture.
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A levitating vehicle might someday explore the moon, asteroids, and other airless planetary surfaces.
Shame is a powerful tool that must be used with care.
New technology is helping physicists move forward in the search for the Theory of Everything.
Our temporal experience of the world is not divided into a series of neat segments, yet that’s how we talk about time.
Learn how to get the best views no matter where you are. Every year, no matter what else is occurring on Earth or in the heavens, you can rely on two […]
In 2020, we experienced the shortest ‘day’ in 50 years. Here’s the reason why. On the timescales that humans experience, there are lots of things that we consider to be extremely […]
The mediocrity principle is often used to make claims about the abundance of life across the universe, but these claims are likely unfounded.
Research from NASA reveals Mars’ spectacular volcanic past.
Aliens symbolize the best and worst of humanity. When we dream of aliens, we are pondering our future selves.
The theory could resolve some unanswered questions.
Avi Loeb says it’s aliens. Every other astronomer disagrees. Here’s why. In 2017, an astronomical event occurred that was unlike any other: for the first time, we observed an object that […]
“In our studies, people who are more intelligent don’t mind wander so often when the task is hard but can do it more when tasks are easy.”
A new model addresses a longstanding problem: where do quasars get the fuel they need to outshine entire galaxies?
Sure, we’re warming now. But will this continue, or will natural factors change things? According to our best understanding of Earth’s climate, the global average temperature has increased significantly over the […]
Whether or not life exists elsewhere in the Universe, we can be assured of one thing: We are the only human beings in the cosmos.
For the first time, light that comes from behind a black hole has been spotted.
Researchers from Harvard receive permission for a test that may help cool Earth and fight global warming.
We’re used to scientists telling us about the math and physics behind astronomical events. But what does studying space make us feel?
Although saying the wrong thing could often get you killed in ancient civilizations, history shows that the ideal of free speech has deep roots.
Water is vital for life. Luckily for spacefaring humans, the solar system is full of it.
Astrophysicists once believed in a static Universe, containing only the Milky Way galaxy. Science definitively proved otherwise.
We still don’t know what dark matter is, but at least we now know what it’s not. When it comes to science, we often say that it only takes a single […]
Is the Universe the same everywhere? Or are there truly ‘special places’ around? For practically all of human history, one assumption about our place in the Universe had long gone unchallenged: […]
The Twin Jet nebula, shown here, is a stunning example of a bipolar preplanetary nebula. At the center, a dying star is in the final stages of life where it […]
All scientific theories, at some level, are wrong. That’s why consensus is so vital. There are two important and common words that, when used scientifically, have a very different meaning than […]
The strangest thing about trying to predict the future is that our only clues lie in the past.
If you want to share the truths about our Universe with others, don’t fall into the trap of arguing with a misinformer. Do this instead.
Without quantum physics, the Sun wouldn’t shine at all. Earth, as we know it, is only teeming with life because of the influence of our Sun. Its light and heat provides […]