Science

Dominion

To take care of the Earth, humans must recognise that we are both a part of the animal kingdom and its dominant power

Hugh Desmond

How the world’s richest reds are derived from an innocuous Mexican insect

5 minutes

Quantum dialectics

When quantum mechanics posed a threat to the Marxist doctrine of materialism, communist physicists sought to reconcile the two

Jim Baggott

The abyss at the edge of human understanding – a voyage into a black hole

4 minutes

Building embryos

For 3,000 years, humans have struggled to understand the embryo. Now there is a revolution underway

John Wallingford

Last hours of an organ donor

In the liminal time when the brain is dead but organs are kept alive, there is an urgent tenderness to medical care

Ronald W Dworkin

Alien life is no joke

Not long ago the search for extraterrestrials was considered laughable nonsense. Today, it’s serious and scientific

Adam Frank

Why do the building blocks of life possess a mysterious symmetry?

12 minutes

Tiny, entangled universes that form or fizzle out – a theory of the quantum multiverse

11 minutes

The history of astronomy is a history of conjuring intelligent life where it isn’t

34 minutes

A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations

9 minutes

The cell is not a factory

Scientific narratives project social hierarchies onto nature. That’s why we need better metaphors to describe cellular life

Charudatta Navare

The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact

22 minutes

The Indian astronomer whose innovative work on black holes was mocked at Cambridge

13 minutes