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These Slimy Fish May Have Helped Us Hone Our Sense of Smell
Sophisticated scent seems to have evolved earlier than previously thought
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Call Your Grandparents This Holiday Season—for Their Health
Everyday conversations across generations may boost older adults’ sense of purpose
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One of World’s Rarest Cats Has Finally Resurfaced
Behold the first sightings of a flat-headed cat in Thailand in 30 Years
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This Meal Might Bring You to Tears
Experimental psychologist Charles Spence on how our senses shape how we eat
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Short sharp looks at science
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Crick and Watson Did Not Steal Franklin’s Data
Matthew Cobb’s 3 greatest revelations while writing his book Crick: A Mind in Motion
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What’s Your City’s Hoofprint?
A new study measures the impact meat eating has on the planet, one city at a time
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The Nautilus Reading List About the Cosmos
Our writers have read a universe of books on space and astronomy. Here are their favorites.
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Naked Clams and Sunken Ships
A brazen plan to grow an animal that has been the bane of sailors for centuries—to feed the world
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The Problem with Farmed Seafood
We’re decimating the ocean to feed farmed fish. But an innovative solution has surfaced.
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The Hidden Landscape Holding Back the Sea
The fate of our planet’s coasts rests on Antarctic bedrock
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Gaia’s Got a Fever
An aging Earth, like an aging body, is increasingly vulnerable to heat’s fatal strikes
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The Psychedelic Scientist
High on ayahuasca, Bruce Damer saw how life on Earth began. He may very well be right.
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The Secret Superpowers of Frog Skin
The slime coating frog bodies could hold the key to fighting infections, healings wounds and even curing cancer
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Will Trump’s Immigration Policies Hurt US Nobel Chances?
Drastic cuts to science funding and immigration restrictions could hobble the country’s research enterprise
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The Periscope: Book Weeding, Fact-Checking, and Imperiled Fruit Fly Data
What Nautilus executive editor Katherine Courage has been tuning into recently
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He Erased Memory in Mice. Then Thought About Erasing His Own
Sunk in grief and alcoholism, this neuroscientist discovered the power of memory in himself
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To Be More Creative, Immigrate
Creativity flourishes when people cross borders—and when those borders blur through deep, human connection
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The Pretense of Political Debate
Grandstanding acts of persuasion restrict free speech and real learning. Just ask Socrates.
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In the Land of the Eyeless Dragons
The cave-dwelling olm is a canary in the coal mine for environmental change
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Visit the 7 Most Extreme Planets in the Universe
From molten glass rain to oceans of lava, an intergalactic tour of the most terrifying and beautiful climates out there
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The Sean Carrolls Explain the Universe
Why are we here? Is there life on other planets? The renowned scientists who share a name share their answers to life’s big questions.
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The Soviet Rebel of Music
He composed on a computer in a dangerous time. His echo is still heard today.
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How Whales Could Help Us Speak to Aliens
Learning to decode complex communication on Earth may give us a leg up if intelligent life from space makes contact.
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AI’s Innate Bias Against Animals
Chatbots and robots are a setback to animal welfare—but have the potential to be a step forward -
The Problem With Vaccination Shortfalls in Livestock
Global rates are too low to prevent disease spread -
What a Mosquito’s Lunch Tells Us About the Ecosystem
A clever trick borrowed from Jurassic Park -
This Big Space Sandwich Broke a Record
A particularly massive and chaotic baby planetary system captured in exquisite detail -
Saturn’s Rings Are Thicker Than We Thought
New research points to a wide band of particles, invisible to telescopes -
Americans Don’t Seem to Enjoy Negotiating
Even when they have to pay more to avoid it -
How All Those Forever Chemicals End Up on Your Plate
Apex predators and people may get the highest doses -
The Stream Animals Thriving After a Megafire
Oregon fish and amphibians are surprisingly resilient -
How to Taste More Intensely
A tasting boot camp appeared to boost people’s taste buds -
How to Tell if Someone’s Really Listening
The eyes adjust to help us focus as we chat -
Did Humans or Climate Push the Neanderthals Over the Edge?
A new model of what went down in one of the Neanderthals’ last holdouts -
Is the Mistletoe That inspires Holiday Smooching A Menace to Trees?
Study shows that parasitic mistletoe doesn’t hurt host trees in Oregon -
What Does Evolutionary Age Have to Do with a Species’ Extinction?
Younger species of sharks and rays were more likely to die out -
Why Does My Lettuce Go Bad so Fast?
What happens when nature has a leaky raincoat -
Did a Rogue Planet Bring Order to Our Solar System?
New models suggest a celestial bypasser left us with the current orbital lineup -
Which Country Is Most Narcissistic?
It’s not the United States -
These “Living Rocks” Are Living It Up
Unassuming ancient microbe communities are surprisingly skilled at storing away lots of carbon -
Monster Stars Roamed the Cosmos at the Dawn of Time
“A bit like dinosaurs on Earth—they were enormous and primitive” -
Does Your Personality Put You At a Higher Risk of Dying?
Taking stock of your foibles could extend your life -
These Fatal Gauntlets Kill Thousands of Endangered Seabirds Every Year
Study maps the deadly areas where birds cross paths with fishing vessels
