Deep in the oceans, marine biologist Marah Hardt counts coral, sea urchin, and fish and looks for patterns to understand what makes reefs sick or healthy. Create a coral reef …

Our genes strictly dictate our personalities, appearance and diseases. Or do they? Research has revealed that genes can turn on and off; they can be expressed for years and then silenced. Sometimes, they are never activated. And these genetic instructions—how and when DNA is read—can be determined by the experiences of one’s ancestors, even those several generations back.

Lemurs, capuchin monkeys, and macaques help cognitive psychologist Laurie Santos understand how we think and are able to use tools, do math, and perform other tasks that make us human. …

Forget what you think you know about dark matter. After a 30-year search for a single, as yet unidentified, species of dark matter particle that would make up some 25% of the mass of the universe, physicists are starting to consider novel explanations.

How far would you go to improve your focus, memory, or even learning ability? Would you be willing to strap on headgear that delivers electrical shocks to targeted areas of your brain? You may soon have that option.

Brian Greene and Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt engage in a wide-ranging conversation covering cosmology, the accelerating universe, and the role of science in shaping our future. Subscribe to the WSF …