It’s an old question: What is consciousness? Today, sophisticated brain imaging technologies, clinical studies, as well as the newfound ability to listen to the whisper of even an individual nerve cell, are bringing scientists closer than ever to the neurobiological basis of consciousness.

Using brainwaves to send a Tweet, biomechanical engineer Adam Wilson demonstrates how neural prosthetic devices can allow people with motor disabilities to communicate with the outside world. Episode filmed live …

Geckos performing death-defying wall-climbing feats inspired materials scientist and engineer Michael Bartlett to invent adhesive that’s sticky powers are just as strong as this reptile. His Cool Jobs is developing …

Black holes may hold the key to understanding the most fundamental truths of the universe, but how do you see something that’s, well, black? Astronomers think they have the answer. …

Winners of the prestigious 2010 Kavli Prizes—biennial international awards that recognize seminal advances in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience, and include a cash prize of $1 million in each field— were …

What are the special challenges, pitfalls, opportunities and rare triumphs of seeking and synthesizing the essence of someone whose passion—quantum physics, number theory, nucleic acids, atomic species, computational design, gravitational phenomena—is so thoroughly foreign to the concerns of everyday life?