Hard Science

It was originally understood that our universe harbored two hundred billion galaxies – but this estimate was wrong – it contains two trillion. 
In 2018, NASA plans to launch the James Webb Space telescope, a much more powerful successor to the Hubble, which could tell us even more about the distant reaches of our universe. 

We Were Just Thrust Into a New Age in Astronomy

And science will never be the same.

Stereoscopic vision allows humans to judge distance, which develops their ability to have true depth perception. 
But what are the other advantages of stereoscopic vision? And how did it evolve? 

Two Eyes, Three Dimensions: Why We Have Stereoscopic Vision

Why do we see in 3D?

The diameter of an atom ranges from about 0.1 to 0.5 nanometers – they are a million times smaller than the thickest human hair. 
We've known about atoms since the 17th century. But how do we know they exist if they are so small?

An Atomic Idea: How We Discovered the Atom

An atom is a million times smaller than a human hair – so how do we know they exist?

Sci-Fi Visions

Science fiction has a rich history, but that history has huge changes in it, and it's not just due to changes in science and technology...

How Has Science Fiction Changed Over the Decades?

Where has sci-fi been, and where is it going?

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What makes a science fiction story? What's the big deal about science fiction? How can we use storytelling to explore questions about the future of the human race? 

Where Does Science Fiction Meet Science Fact?

What is science fiction, and how can we use it to predict the future? 

http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_-_01_Lets_Start_at_the_Beginning

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Op-Ed

Where does human intelligence come from? What evolutionary events gave birth to the human mind? 

The Origins of Human Intelligence: How We Became the ‘Thinking Species’

Let's do even more thinking about thinking...

How smart are animals? Smarter thank you think, once you know how to measure intelligence.

Is the Human Mind Really Different Than Other Animals?

Let's do some thinking about thinking. 

Humans don't see much, so why do we see what we see, and what can't we see? 

Beyond Our Universe: Understanding the Cosmos We Can’t See

"We are amazingly blind as a species..."

Where is humanity going from here? We should have been building homes on Mars by the end of the 20th century, right? What hope is there for the longevity of the Human race? There is reason to be optimistic...

The Future of Humanity: Do We Have a Chance?

Will our next steps be to the stars, or are we a dying species?

Earth & Energy

Light pollution has diminished our view of our own galaxy. In fact, it can often be a journey to see the night sky as it once was. We can bring it back again. 

/ Author

Daniel Barker

Expert Contributor