It’s a wonderful world — and universe — out there.

Explainers

Background pieces for a deeper dive into a broad range of pivotal topics

Earth
Explainer: Seismic waves come in different ‘flavors’

By Sid PerkinsJanuary 12, 2018
Agriculture
Explainer: The fertilizing power of N and P

By Bethany BrookshireJanuary 4, 2018
Chemistry
Explainer: Store receipts and BPA

By Janet RaloffNovember 22, 2017
Earth
Explainer: What makes dirt different from soil

By Janet RaloffNovember 16, 2017
Genetics
Explainer: Why scientists sometimes ‘knock out’ genes

By Bethany BrookshireNovember 6, 2017
Health & Medicine
Explainer: What is a hormone?

By Janet RaloffNovember 1, 2017
Climate
Explainer: Weather and weather prediction

By Sarah ZielinskiOctober 19, 2017
Chemistry
Explainer: What are polymers?

By Sid PerkinsOctober 13, 2017

Science & Society
Explainer: The Nobel Prize

By Bethany BrookshireOctober 2, 2017
Physics
Explainer: Quantum is the world of the super small

By Stephen OrnesSeptember 14, 2017
Climate
Explainer: Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons

By Lillian Steenblik HwangAugust 28, 2017
Genetics
Explainer: How CRISPR works

By Tina Hesman SaeyJuly 31, 2017