How much brain do you need to be smart? Bees and ants perform marvels as colonies, though each insect has barely any brain. And plants—with no brain at all—exhibit behaviors …

The notion of a “tortured genius” or “mad scientist” may be more than a romantic aberration. Research shows that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia correlate with high creativity and intelligence, raising tantalizing questions: What role does environment play in the path to mental illness?

Do your friends call you a control freak? Well then, you’re in good company. Learn more about the #scientist known as the “Maestro of the Miniscule” who used atom manipulation …

Brian Greene and Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek discuss quantum mechanics, dark matter, cosmology, consciousness, and Wilczek’s new book, “Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality.” This program is part of the Big …

Marcia Bartusiak joins Kip Thorne, Laura Danly and Rainer Weiss to demonstrate how two observatories on opposite sides of the country, called LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory), may open a new window on observing the cosmos—one based not in light but in gravity.

Does your dog really think and feel like a human? Do our closest primate relatives have brains and emotions similar to ours? What about the storied intelligence of dolphins and singing humpback whales? And do other species hold surprises for us if we’re willing to look closely?