A detail from the Arecibo message as sent 1974 from the Arecibo Observatory

The Arecibo Message Fifty Years Later

In November 1974, astronomers used the radio telescope at Puerto Rico's Arecibo Observatory to send a hello to the universe.
A pile of manure for fertilizing crops

A History of Human Waste as Fertilizer

In eighteenth century Japan, human excrement played a vital role in agriculture. Can similar solutions help manage waste today?
Eerie specimens preserved in jars

On Raising the Dead

A biotech company wants to use stem cell therapy to restore neurological function in patients who have been declared braindead.
Limpets on a rock

The World’s Strongest Material is Limpet Teeth

The world's strongest material is no longer spider silk, it's limpet teeth.