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

Explainers

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

Environment
Explainer: Gravity and microgravity

By Trisha Muro and Bethany BrookshireFebruary 4, 2022
Health & Medicine
Explainer: How loud is too loud?

By Kendra RedmondJanuary 25, 2022
Physics
Explainer: Telescopes see light — and sometimes ancient history

By Trisha MuroJanuary 13, 2022
Chemistry
Explainer: What is a metal?

By Katie Grace CarpenterJanuary 12, 2022
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