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Collage of the back of a woman’s head, molecular structures, names of compounds in hair products, a flower and leaf.

The science of green hair care

A push to move away from petroleum products — plus the perception that natural is gentler — has scientists lathering up new ingredients, from wood and fungus extracts to engineered proteins

An enormous storm cloud above the plains with distinct funnel emerging from its base.

Physical World

The quest to understand tornadoes

Scientists are still grappling with how and why violent twisters form. Will new technology and computing power help?

Living World

Do spiders dream? What about cuttlefish? Bearded dragons?

Researchers are finding signs of multiple phases of sleep all over the animal kingdom. The ‘active’ sleep phases look very much like REM.

Photograph of a flat, desolate, ice- and snow-covered landscape with the Sun low in the sky. A few structures are in the background.

Technology

Fiber optics take the pulse of the planet

It’s like radar, but with light. Distributed acoustic sensing — DAS — picks up tremors from volcanoes, quaking ice and deep-sea faults, as well as traffic rumbles and whale calls.

Three people with small backpacks walk through the desert along the base of a wall topped with razor wire.

Society

An archaeological look at modern refugees

The techniques of archaeology, usually used to study the past, also illuminate the experiences of today’s displaced people

Photo shows a young sleeping infant wearing an array of electrodes on its head. The electrodes record brain activity while the baby sleeps.

The Mind

How learning happens in the brains of sleeping babes

Neuroscientists have long known that shut-eye helps consolidate memories in adults. Napping may play an equally crucial role in infants and young children.

Photograph of a large blue glass headrest decorated with gold.

Society

The ancient origins of glass

Featuring ingots, shipwrecks, pharaohs and an international trade in colors, the material’s rich history is being traced using modern archaeology and materials science

Photo shows vessels that have been restored from fragments found in the Libyan Sahara thought to be more than 6,000 years old.

Society

What did ancient people eat? Scientists find new clues in old pottery

Remnants of molecules and microbes in shards of cooking pots help researchers reconstruct prehistoric cuisines. On the menu: stews, cheese and fermented drinks.

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