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

Explainers

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

Animals
Explainer: What is an invasive species?

By Jaime ChambersJanuary 6, 2022
Physics
Explainer: Understanding electricity

By Trisha MuroDecember 10, 2021
Animals
Explainer: The age of dinosaurs

By Beth GeigerDecember 3, 2021
Space
Explainer: Calculating a star’s age

By Lisa Grossman and Helen ThompsonNovember 19, 2021
Genetics
Explainer: What is RNA?

By Katie Grace CarpenterOctober 14, 2021
Earth
Explainer: How auroras light up the sky

By Maria TemmingOctober 8, 2021
Chemistry
Explainer: In chemistry, what does it mean to be organic?

By Katie Grace CarpenterOctober 7, 2021
Genetics
Explainer: Virus variants and strains

By Janet RaloffAugust 25, 2021

Climate
Explainer: Urban heat islands and how to cool them

By Bethany BrookshireAugust 19, 2021
Chemistry
Explainer: What is an electrode?

By Adrian DingleAugust 18, 2021
Chemistry
Explainer: Ions and radicals in our world

By Adrian DingleAugust 18, 2021
Animals
Explainer: What are cicadas?

By Sid PerkinsMay 12, 2021