Scientists reconstructed 500 million years of evolutionary history to reveal which came first: colorful signals or the color vision needed to see them.

Manu Prakash works on the world’s most urgent problems and seemingly frivolous questions at the same time. They add up to a philosophy he calls “recreational biology.”

Manu Prakash works on the world’s most urgent problems and seemingly frivolous questions at the same time. They add up to a philosophy he calls “recreational biology.”

Cities may not seem like places full of natural wonder, but if you know where to look, life indeed abounds

The discovery of salty mineral evaporites on Ryugu indicates that watery environments may have been widespread in the early solar system.

The discovery of salty mineral evaporites on Ryugu indicates that watery environments may have been widespread in the early solar system.

Rare and powerful compounds, known as keystone molecules, can build a web of invisible interactions among species.

Rare and powerful compounds, known as keystone molecules, can build a web of invisible interactions among species.

The insides of my grandmother’s wrists are the color of ripe figs.

All modern multicellular life — all life that any of us regularly see — is made of cells with a knack for compartmentalization. Recent discoveries are revealing how the first eukaryote got its start.

The discovery that other vertebrates have healthy, microbial brains is fueling the still controversial possibility that we might have them as well.