What's missing from a bold new prediction of rapid progress in artificial intelligence. Read by Sharon McCune.
 

Nautilus is a different kind of science magazine. It delivers big-picture science by reporting on a single monthly topic from multiple perspectives. 

Nautilus

A reality check on superhuman AI

A scientist’s first-hand account shows the world can tackle a global environmental crisis. Read by Marni Penning.

How we solved the hole in the ozone

Despite popular views that the internet is a dangerous place, one study suggests that - on a global scale - it’s associated with greater happiness. Read by Ron Butler.

The internet might be good for us

Crying wolf in an age of extreme weather alarms

As extreme weather events become more commonplace, cities around the globe are working to set up more early warning systems. The problem? False alarms can have a serious psychological impact. Benjamin Cassidy investigates this phenomenon. 

Read by Sean Crisden.

Crying wolf in an age of alarms

Why people believe their own lies

Lying and deception are perennials of politics. But cognitive science suggests the possibility of something more disconcerting at play. Looking at the case of George Santos, Clayton Dalton reflects on why people believe their own lies. Read by Sean Crisden.

The George Santos syndrome

The influenza pandemic of 1957 was estimated to have killed one to four million people worldwide. So why was this history not referred to during the recent pandemic? Steve Keller argues that it is crucial to remember COVID-19 to prepare for inevitable future pandemics. Read by Ron Butler.

The pandemic your grandparents forgot 

Living forever has been a fantasy for centuries. But is it actually possible to rewrite the manual for the natural human lifespan? Matt Fuchs meets with Charles Brenner, the biochemist crushing our longevity dreams.

The longevity skeptic

Physicians often assess - and treat - Black patients differently. But is there a medical basis behind these decisions? Amitha Kalaichandran discusses ingrained racism and potentially life-threatening misconceptions in North American health care.

Is there any place for race in medicine? 

Could artificial organs solve the donor shortage? Sian E. Harding examines our attempts to engineer replacement hearts throughout history as the technology remains out of reach.

If technology only had a heart

Will easy-to-use generative image programs upend the art industry? With professional artists worried about losing work to machines, cognitive scientist Jim Davies provides an alternative view on the pleasures and merits of using AI to make art.

How AI can prompt your inner artist

Why do some of our best ideas come while we're asleep? Kristen French meets with geneticist George Church to discover how a recently identified stage of sleep common in narcoleptics is key to unlocking creativity.

The creative sweet spot of dreaming

If AI is learning, what differentiates ChatGPT from students? Philip Ball reflects on the differences between man and machine and argues that being a great writer comes down to understanding the reader, regardless of whether you're human or not.

ChatGPT is a mirror of our times

Could this be the cure for romantic trauma?

Devastating heartbreak is an accepted part of the human experience. However, it doesn't have to be that way. Shayla Love explores a new therapy called "memory reconsolidation" that promises to reduce the impact of the events that haunt us the most.

This drug can mend a broken heart

Can Heisenberg and Schrödinger's idea be applied to more subatomic particles?

Like most physicists, Paul M. Sutter spent much of his life attempting to make sense of the quantum world. But here, he argues that lessons from quantum mechanics can and should be used to make sense of ours.

How I learned to stop worrying and love uncertainty

Why should we care about something that hasn't happened yet?

Discounting the future seems absurd when you look at it from a past perspective. However, based on the latest research, Jim Davies discovers a strange phenomenon where we don't value what we can't clearly imagine.

Why your brain isn't into the future

What happens to your mind after you die?

Since the fifth century B.C., near-death experiences have been used as evidence of an afterlife. However, with science indicating the opposite, Kristen French discovers the reality of life after death through the latest neuroscientific research.

The afterlife Is in our heads

How do you know if your thoughts are normal?

It's a simple question but surprisingly tricky to answer. This is why neuroscientist Phil Jaekl embarked on an experiment to decipher his thoughts with surprising results.

I didn't know my mind was so strange until I started listening to it

These parasites can outperform our most cutting-edge neuroscience. 

The ability to take over a host's mind and manipulate it like a marionette sounds like something out of science fiction, but it's real, and parasites always do it. From microbes to fungi, Laith Al-Shawaf, a professor of psychology, explores how this terrifying prospect presents in nature.

The wizards of mind control

Meet the mice that are changing the obesity conversation.

Weight gain is commonly associated with poor dietary choices and not enough exercise. However, as Jenny Morber discovers, recent research into the Mrap2 gene indicates that obesity could be down to our DNA. It could profoundly change how we see one of the most important health issues in the Western world.

What if obesity is nobody’s fault?

It provokes dread in so many people, yet we are all born with a sense of numbers.

Research shows that humans are born with an inherent sense of numbers, known as numerosity. So why does maths provoke so much dread in so many people? Science writer Elizabeth Landau examines this phenomenon and argues for redesigning mathematics education to encourage learning rather than harness concern amongst many capable pupils.