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A farmer in southern Zinder, Niger, collects leaves that will feed his sheep.

Age of Humans

The “Great Green Wall” Didn’t Stop Desertification, but it Evolved Into Something That Might

The multibillion-dollar effort to plant a 4,000-mile-long wall of trees hit some snags along the way, but there’s still hope

Can scientists make cardboard diet food taste like the real deal?

New Research

Food Tasting Too Healthy? Just Add Scent

How scientists use smell to trick tastebuds—and brains

Now, Let the “Olympics” of Sports Startups Begin

Eight companies from around the world specializing in athletics will compete in Rio de Janeiro for a 100,000 Euro prize

Reynolda House Museum of American Art

These Five Museums Put the “Culture” in “Agriculture”

It’s a lot more than just “tractor art”

Karl Marx by John Collier, 1977

Commentary

Karl Marx, My Puppy ‘Max,’ Instagram and Me

A historian tries hard to understand modern society and buys a #cutepuppy

Sarah Vaughan by Herman Leonard, 1949

Jazz Has Never Looked Cooler Than It Does in This New Exhibition

These evocative images by photographer Herman Leonard call to mind a bygone era

Simple times may be over for the National Parks. Shown here: El Capitan, a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, California.

Age of Humans

How the National Parks Are Playing the Game of “What If” to Prepare for Climate Change

Federal agencies are starting to embrace scenario planning, a tool developed by the military to plan for thermonuclear war

“Enneagon” features repeating crystalline-like shapes. “You think you understand a pattern, but if you zoom out or change your perspective, it changes,” Shlian says. Created in 2015, measures 48 x 48 inches.

Art Meets Science

These Mesmerizing Paper Sculptures Explore Nature’s Mirrored Structures

Artist Matt Shlian folds, cuts and glues paper to create faceted and curved works of art

Small fixes can keep birds from being snagged by fishing lines, which also helps fishing vessels not lose bait to the flying foragers.

Age of Humans

These Simple Fixes Could Save Thousands of Birds a Year From Fishing Boats

Changes as basic as adding a colorful streamer to commercial longline fishing boats could save thousands of seabirds a year

The device can scan the brain while a person walks.

This Helmet Shows What’s Going On Inside a Person’s Brain

Researchers say it could help detect Alzheimer’s and even explain why some people have exceptional talents

Christian Puglisi, restaurateur, standing on his Farm of Ideas in Abbetved, Denmark on July 28, 2016.

Acclaimed Chef Christian Puglisi’s New “Farm of Ideas” Might Be the Next Big Foodie Destination

The Danish restaurateur is creating a place for food producers, chefs and foodies from around the world to gather and learn

Bei Bei visits the vet.

A Beary Happy First Birthday to Bei Bei. Unbearably Cute Celebrations Are in Store

America’s sweetheart celebrates his birthday this weekend at the National Zoo

Martin Couney holds up Beth Allen, a premature baby who was on view at the Coney Island attraction.

The Man Who Ran a Carnival Attraction That Saved Thousands of Premature Babies Wasn’t a Doctor at All

Martin Couney carried a secret with him, but the results are unimpeachable

Canada

This 400-mile Trail Between the U.S. and Canada Was Planned by a Moose

The new trail will stretch from the Adirondacks in New York to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario

Jackie Joyner-Kersee by Gregory Heisler, 1988

Commentary

Why We Have to Play Catch-up Collecting the Portraits of Female Athletes

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is setting its sights on the future

A "neural dust" sensor

The Innovative Spirit fy17

Tiny “Neural Dust” Sensors Could One Day Control Prostheses or Treat Disease

These devices could last inside the human body indefinitely, monitoring and controlling nerve and muscle impulses

Just a handful of key animals—mostly charismatic megafauna and a few economically important species—make up the bulk of conservation research efforts.

Scientists Know They Should Really Study Important Bugs but OMG a Baby Cheetah

In conservation science, the cutest animals still get all the attention

A male zebra finch.

Age of Humans

Birds Sing to Their Eggs, and This Song Might Help Their Babies Survive Climate Change

Embryonic learning—things birds pick up from their parents while still in the egg—may play a bigger role than imagined.

This toy diplodocus fetches up to $600 on eBay.

This Man Claims He Has the World’s Largest Collection of Toy Dinosaurs, and He Loves Them All

Randy Knol’s stunning array chronicles our evolving knowledge about the prehistoric beasts

Scenes from the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

The Rise of the Modern Sportswoman

Women have long fought against the assumption that they are weaker than men, and the battle isn’t over yet

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