The Threshold at Which Snow Starts Irreversibly Disappearing
If you think it’s bad now, strap in.
Science
Grizzly Bears Are Mostly Vegan
But humans made them more carnivorous.
A Different Vision for Earth’s Demise
How our planet could survive the sun’s last gasp
A Major Climate Force Has Been Ignored for Decades
Small mammals play an outsize role in shaping the world around them.
Civilization Owes Its Existence to the Moon
Our silver satellite inspired religion, gave rise to science, and made us human.
The Most Mysterious Cells in Our Bodies Don’t Belong to Us
You carry literal pieces of your mom—and maybe your grandma, and your siblings, and your aunts and uncles.
When Did Humans First Start Wearing Clothes?
No one can know exactly, but archaeologists have found a few unexpected clues.
First Comes the Hurricane, Then the Evictions
How storms are squeezing America’s renters
An Incurable Disease Is Coming for Deer
It rots their brains, weakens their muscles, and can linger in the environment for years.
81 Things That Blew Our Minds in 2023
Where The Atlantic’s Science, Technology, and Health reporters found wonder this year