Physics
The drama of Albert Einstein’s life unfolds in the new series Genius
Science takes a back seat in National Geographic’s series Genius, which focuses more on politics and Albert Einstein’s love life.
Featured Articles in this Issue
-
Cover Story
Venomous fish have evolved many ways to inflict pain
Fish venom shows great diversity and is being studied to treat pain, cancer and other diseases.
Reviews & Previews
Science Visualized
Life
Cells’ stunning complexity on display in a new online portal
A new online explorer tool from the Allen Institute for Cell Science shows 3-D models of cell interiors.
Notebook
Planetary Science
It’s time to redefine what qualifies as a planet, scientists propose
Astronomers can have their definition of a planet, but some planetary scientists plan to stick to the long-held meaning of the word.
Features
-
There’s still a lot we don’t know about the proton
Researchers are puzzling over the proton's radius, spin and whether it decays.
More Stories from the April 29, 2017 issue
- Earth
Deadly New Zealand quake hopscotched across faults
The Nov. 14, 2016, earthquake in New Zealand was much larger than thought possible at the time, prompting a rethink of hazard assessments.
- Archaeology
Ancient Romans may have been cozier with Huns than they let on
Nomadic Huns and Roman farmers shared ways of life on the Roman Empire’s fifth century frontier.
- Quantum Physics
Millions of atoms entangled in record-breaking quantum tests
Scientists make advance in the quest to take quantum effects to larger scales.
- Archaeology
Palace remains in Mexico point to ancient rise of centralized power
An ancient royal structure gets new life in southern Mexico.
- Astronomy
Supermassive black hole gets kicked to the galactic curb
Gravitational waves may have given a supermassive black hole a big kick, with enough energy to send it flying toward the edges of its host galaxy.
- Oceans
Thinning ice creates undersea Arctic greenhouses
Arctic sea ice thinned by climate change increasingly produces conditions favorable for phytoplankton blooms in the waters below, new research suggests.
- Ecosystems
Hawk moths convert nectar into antioxidants
Hawk moths use their sugary diet to make antioxidants that protect their muscles.
- Planetary Science
Extreme gas loss dried out Mars, MAVEN data suggest
Over the planet’s history, the Martian atmosphere has lost 66 percent of its argon and a majority of its carbon dioxide, according to data from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft.
- Health & Medicine
Getting dengue first may make Zika infection much worse
Experiments in cells and mice suggest that a previous exposure to dengue or West Nile can make a Zika virus infection worse.
- Animals
For glass frogs, moms matter after all
Brief but important maternal care may have evolved before the elaborate egg-tending of glass frog dads.
- Neuroscience
More brain differences seen between girls, boys with ADHD
ADHD looks different in the cerebellums of girls and boys with the condition.
- Neuroscience
Food odors are more enticing to sleep-deprived brains
Sleep deprivation makes the brain more sensitive to food smells.
- Health & Medicine
Engineered immune cells boost leukemia survival for some
Engineered immune cells can extend life for some leukemia patients.
- Astronomy
Massive red, dead galaxy spotted in young universe
A hefty red, dead galaxy may raise questions about how galaxies formed in the early universe.
- Health & Medicine
Common virus may be celiac disease culprit
A common virus may turn the immune system against gluten, leading to the development of celiac disease.
- Health & Medicine
Genetic risk of getting second cancer tallied for pediatric survivors
Inherited mutations, not only treatment, affect the chances that a childhood cancer survivor will develop a second cancer later in life.
- Humans
Scientists seek early signs of autism
The search for autism biomarkers, in the blood and the brain, is heating up.
- Earth
50 years ago, continental drift began to gain acceptance
Half a century later, plate tectonics is well-established but still an active field of research.
- Animals
Tropical bedbugs outclimb common species
A study of bedbug traps and feet names finds that tropical bedbugs are much better at scaling slippery walls than common bedbugs.
