Probability is the backbone of science, but how well do you understand it? Odds are, not as well as you think; it is a surprisingly subtle concept that is often misunderstood, sometimes even by professionals who use it to guide crucial and far-reaching decisions.

Immanuel Kant, who coined the term genius in the 1700s, defined it as the rare capacity to independently understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person. Since then, the spectrum of abilities that we call genius has widened, but pivotal questions remain: What exactly is genius?

Nobel Laureate Barry Barish and Brian Greene discuss the quickly-evolving world of gravitational waves detections—from the first detection on September 14, 2015 to its public announcement five months later through …

Winners of the prestigious $1 million Kavli Prizes were announced May 31, 2012 live via satellite from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo.

With ever more refined techniques for measuring complex brain activity, scientists are challenging the understanding of thought, memory and emotion–what we have traditionally called “the self.”

Ellen Stofan is the NASA chief scientist, serving as principal advisor on the agency’s science programs. Prior to her appointment, Stofan was vice president of Proxemy Research and an honorary …