Richard Branson Pulled It Off
One space billionaire has now made it to space and back. Jeff Bezos is next.
Science
A Giant Chalk Figure Is Finally Starting to Make Some Sense
And we have snails to thank for that.
Cape Cod’s Waters Are Getting Very, Very Sharky
Researchers are toying with a new option to prevent great-white-shark attacks: predicting when they might strike.
The Greenest Way to Grill
The type of fuel you choose isn’t as important as how sustainably it’s sourced, and what you’re grilling matters more.
The Story of Songbirds Is a Story of Sugar
Long ago, songbirds executed an evolutionary power move, rejiggering a sensor for savory tastes to react to sweetness.
Space Billionaires, Please Read the Room
Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson are choosing a terrible time to leave Earth.
Maine Has a Dangerous, Small, and Very Itchy Problem
Climate change is keeping temperatures higher in the fall, setting up browntail-moth caterpillars to boom in summer.
The Pros and Cons of Spiky Genitals
Seed-beetle sex seems like a classic conflict between males and females, but new research gives it a twist.
The Energy Revolution Is Tweaking OPEC Out
Oil-producing countries are starting to prepare for a peak in oil demand. That isn’t necessarily good news for the planet.
A Volcano, a Fishing Boat, and a Narrow Escape
Two government biologists barely made it off a remote Alaskan island alive. No one had known it was ready to erupt.