Science
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Why the “Mother of the Atomic Bomb” Never Won a Nobel Prize
There is a memorable scene in “Oppenheimer,” the blockbuster film about the building of the atomic bomb, in which Luis Alvarez, a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, is reading a newspaper while getting a haircut. Suddenly, Alvarez ...
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The Orion Nebula Is Full of Impossible Enigmas That Come in Pairs
We have discovered a lot in this universe. Planets that orbit stars at right angles. Forbidden worlds that have cheated death. Space explosions that defy explanation. Yet the cosmos continues to surprise us. The latest spectacle, observed by the ...
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A Nobel Prize Might Lower a Scientist’s Impact
A team of researchers at Stanford find that older scientists are less productive after winning major awards like the Nobel and the MacArthur Fellowship.
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The Eternal Search for the ‘Nemesis Bird’
For every devoted birder, there is a bird that continues to elude sighting.
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Atop an Underwater Hot Spring, an ‘Octopus Garden’ Thrives
The heat, a new study suggests, makes for an ideal breeding ground for these eight-legged animals.
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Nuclear War Could End the World, but What if It’s All in Our Heads?
Some experts want to apply recent neuroscience research to the decision making that could lead to doomsday.
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Days on Mars Are Getting Shorter
The discovery, using data from NASA’s retired InSight lander, is puzzling to scientists who study the red planet.
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Superconductor Scientist Faces Investigation as a Paper Is Retracted
The Latest A prominent physics journal on Tuesday retracted a materials science paper that has garnered scrutiny. One of its authors, Ranga P. Dias, a professor in the physics and mechanical engineering departments at the University of Rochester in ...
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A Museum of ‘Electrifying Frankness’ Weighs Dialing It Down
The Mütter Museum, a beloved 19th-century collection of medical curiosities and human remains in Philadelphia, wants to adopt a more “respectful” approach. Some fans won’t have it.
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The Perseids Meteor Shower, One of the Year’s Best, Is Reaching Its Peak
On any given night, far from bright city lights, there’s a chance that you’ll see a beautiful streak shoot across the sky as a meteor flies overhead. But on special dates scattered throughout the year, skywatchers can catch a multitude of flares as ...