Is it possible to die of boredom?

To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL

Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.

SERGE WICH

Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.

ELODIE FREYMANN

When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.

Guardians of the Forest

EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.

APE ANTICS

The Whirling World of primate play

Dr. Ape Will See You Now

HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY  PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.

THE LEFT OVERS

A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.

SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?

What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.

WHO'S YOUR COUSIN?

The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?

WHO OWNS THE MOON?

INDIA LANDED AN UNCREWED SPACECRAFT ON THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUGUST 2023. Japan just reached the Moon for the first time with a robotic spacecraft in January. And in 2026, the United States is set to land astronauts on the Moon for the first time in more than half a century with its Artemis III mission.

INVESTIGATING ICY MOONS

The Search for Hidden Oceans-and Extra-Terrestrial Life

EDWARD ASHTON

ASTRONOMER

New Moons of Saturn

A NEW DISCOVERY IS CHANGING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THE MOONS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.

The Truth About Pluto

THEN ONE DAY IT WASN'T A PLANET. THE END.

THE POWER OF TIDES

THE PUSH AND PULL OF MOONS WITH THEIR HOST PLANETS

JUSTIN DARNALL

AEROSPACE ENGINEER

To the Moon-and Beyond!

NASA'S ARTEMIS PROGRAM IS SET TO RETURN HUMANS TO THE MOON AFTER MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY.

(Don't) Fly Me to the Moon

WAS IT A CONSPIRACY? NOPE. BUT NO-MOONIES ARE SKEPTICAL ANYWAY.

Ready, Set, Eclipse!

AN OBSERVER'S GUIDE TO THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE ON APRIL 8, 2024

Envisioning the Future

Albert Robida had a fun but clear-eyed view of the future. Writing and illustrating at the end of the 1800s, he imagined what the year 2000 would look like. Who could picture the world more than a century in the future?

Do You Really Want a Flying Car?

Close your eyes and imagine the future. Are flying cars whizzing through the air?

No Flights of Fancy

Animal-inspired innovations for airplanes

Balloons on a Mission

When scientists need to do research at the very edge of space, they skip the rocket ship and send a balloon instead.

Are plants aware of themselves?

Sure, scientists noticed one of my special skills. But most people are still overlooking my epic poetry.

THE TROUBLE WITH TRANSPORTERS

Quantum teleportation has been achieved. But can it work for people?

The QUEST for QUIET, QUICK PLANES

Supersonic Flight Could Be Making a Comeback

THE FORMULA FOR FLYING

Want to fly? Then you must balance these four forces.

PTERO-SOAR

Tomorrow's High-Tech Aircraft May Use Secrets From the Days of the Dinosaurs!

PLANES Made of PLANTS

Scientists are looking for creative ways to reduce airplanes' carbon footprints by making them fly more efficiently and developing sustainable fuels. But what about the materials in the planes themselves?