# science
New research says that talking to strangers has a lot of mental benefits. And they may just help us out of the societal mess we're in today.
# longform
Today's conspiracy theorists are baffling to old school skeptics because their motives are completely different, much simpler, and much more disturbing.
# astrobiology
A popular thought among experts thinking about alien life is that any intelligent life we discover in space will be artificial. But how realistic is this notion?
# space
The next big space race isn't the United States vs. China, it's Musk vs. Bezos. And who wins has the potential to change our lives.
# politics
Today's typical working hours are a result of politics, compromise, and ideology. Now, some experts are finally asking what science says is the perfect work week, and why.
# science
Many of us are taught that civilization started around 5,000 years ago, even though we know it's actually much older. But just how old is it really?
# astrobiology
Former military pilots and officers often share UFO stories with the media. But what if some of those objects really are from alien words? How would we know? What would we do?
# tech
With so many imagining a future where machines exist not just by our side but as parts of us, we may have made sure that we have no choice but to become part robot.
# health
As parts of the world attempt to return to their pre-COVID normal, millions of people are anxious about declaring the pandemic over. They're right.
# space
When you're not being firmly planted onto a solid surface by gravity, it's not just your bones and muscles that suffer. It takes a toll on your brain too.
# science
We're used to lasers being either death beams, or harmless little points of light. But we also use lasers to cool matter to absolute zero and probe the limits of physics.
# tech
To combat humanity's flaws, some pundits are urging us to give AI the power to govern. These ideas are guaranteed to backfire.
# science
Mastering your emotions and understanding what others feel and why can make you more resistant to fake news and social media hoaxes.
# tech
While pundits worry about the effect of deepfakes on global politics, trolls are using the technology to make fake porn of people they hate. And the victims rarely have any recourse…
# space
As the international race to explore Mars heats up, some writers are resurrecting an old hypothesis that life on Earth really started on the red planet.
