A map of Antarctica, 1949

Antarctica Unveiled: From Accidents to Airborne Labs

Twentieth-century surveys revealed the landscape beneath the Antarctic ice using radio echo-sounding, a technique that emerged largely by accident.
Tongan beach with small wooden jetty and thatched huts

Wooden Kings and Winds of Change in Tonga

The island nation of Tonga is home to the last Polynesian monarchy.
A nurse applies a vaccine in Caracas, Venezuela in March, 2020

How Will a Coronavirus Vaccine Work?

Four different ways researchers use the virus's own structure to train our immune systems to exterminate it.
A decomposing fish out of water

It’s Official: A Global Mass Extinction is under Way

New research confirms that the next mass extinction is in progress, and we’re the cause.