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

Explainers

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

Tech
Explainer: What are lidar, radar and sonar?

By Andrew BridgesMay 1, 2015
Earth
Explainer: Understanding plate tectonics

By Kathiann KowalskiMarch 26, 2015
Computing
Explainer: What is a computer model?

By Kathiann KowalskiJanuary 8, 2015
Health & Medicine
Explainer: What is C. difficile?

By Janet RaloffOctober 22, 2014
Animals
Coming: The sixth mass extinction?

By Alison Pearce StevensOctober 17, 2014
Climate
Explainer: Understanding ice ages

By Sid PerkinsOctober 17, 2014
Earth
Explainer: The volcano basics

By Sid PerkinsOctober 1, 2014
Tech
Explainer: What is 3-D printing?

By Stephen OrnesSeptember 30, 2014

Planets
Explainer: What are asteroids?

By Stephen OrnesAugust 26, 2014
Health & Medicine
Explainer: What is Ebola?

By Janet RaloffAugust 22, 2014
Microbes
Explainer: What you can do to fight antibiotic resistance

By Esther LandhuisJuly 16, 2014
Animals
Explainer: What is a whale?

By Janet RaloffJuly 1, 2014