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Slate of the Union

A few hours after Steve Jobs announced the iPad, President Obama delivered a slightly more important speech. What he said—and didn’t say—about the future of science funding and NASA.

Life Imitating Life

Life, as the expression goes, isn’t always pretty. But with a few tricks of the lab, life in its simplest, single-celled forms can be manipulated into a thing of preternatural beauty.

Nature’s Bizarre Bedfellows

Evolutionary theory predicts that species must compete to survive. But often the best chances for survival come when different species work together for the benefit of both.

Nonlinear Relationships

In mathematician Steven Strogatz’s recent book, friendship and integrals collide, yielding a math story of unusual poignancy.

Current TV’s Network Science

The host’s of Current TV’s Max and Jason: Still Up are on a mission to inspire the planet by connecting science and culture, and having a good time while doing it. How social networks are driving the exponential growth of ideas.

Pay to Play

With the New York Times announcing that it will start charging for its website, an examination of why scientific and journalistic publishing seem to be headed in opposite directions.

The Back-Channel of Science

Scientists are exploiting online tools to facilitate research and communication in an increasingly flat media landscape. What are the implications for science?

Spotlight on Science Diplomacy

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband recently made the case for research as a political bridge. How the UK is building a foundation for a new kind of international policy.

When Science Asks, “What If?”

The visions of tomorrow inspire the actions we take today. Science fiction is as much a reflection of society's deep fascination with science as it is an agent of change for its future course.

Trust in the Twitterverse

With the world scrambling to cover the recent devastating Haitian earthquake, journalists, neuroscientists, and everyone in between are testing the frontiers of social media.

Repository of the Cosmos

We visit Neil deGrasse Tyson to talk about his role as “servant to the public appetite of the universe” and all of the odd things that accumulate in his office.

Adapt or Die

New research is coming closer to revealing why some organisms adapt quickly to changes in their environment, while others adapt slowly or simply become extinct.

The Dog Particle

Chad Orzel has spent much of his teaching career explaining quantum mechanics. In his book, How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, he takes on a new breed of student.

Good COP, Bad COP?

Four experts discuss the rising influence of China, the coming test for President Obama, and whether the Copenhagen Accord will doom or save us.

Getting Our Nitrogen Fix

Our ability to pull nitrogen from the air fed a growing human population. Can 21st century biotechnology refine the process while reducing environmental impact?

Traveling Through Time and Stars

In Far Out, stunning astronomical images and lyrical essays on the nature of light and space explore the universe’s past.

A Year of Research Blogging

ResearchBlogging.org’s content editors on how they select the best blog posts, the value of research blogging, and their predictions for the coming year.

Books to Read Now

January releases paint a portrait of an early fossil hunter; probe the nature of time; and reveal that the vast majority of your brain cells are not neurons.

The Wagnerian Method