Nautilus

Nautilus stands out as a unique science magazine that blends science, philosophy, and culture. We provide fresh insights into what makes us human and our place in the universe, all presented with stunning illustrations. Each month, we dive deep into a specific theme, collaborating with award-winning writers and talented illustrators to create engaging features that redefine science reporting—captivating, thought-provoking, and original. Nautilus offers long-form articles in both online and print formats, along with a blog called Facts So Romantic and a news feature known as Three Sentence Science. With its captivating content and a sense of wonder, Nautilus exemplifies the essence of quality science journalism.

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Articles

An Answer to Humboldt’s Enigma in Tectonic Uplift

1 day ago | nautil.us | Syris Valentine

In 1807, pioneering German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt published a now-iconic illustration of the Ecuadorean volcano Chimborazo, known as Tableau Physique. One half of the mountain he drew is lush and verdant, skirted by thin clouds, smoke billowing from the snow-capped summit. The other half is a mountain silhouette coated with species names, each written at the rough elevation where Humboldt encountered it. It’s a reminder of the richness of life a single mountain can hold.
We’re All Wild Things

1 week ago | nautil.us | Katherine Harmon Courage

ADVERTISEMENT Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. or Join now . Zoology Welcome to the Animal Issue Sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter: Do you remember the first time, as a kid, you stood beneath a looming dinosaur skeleton at a museum? The moment of awe, maybe a tingle of fear. Of realizing that you could have—but for a gap of 65 million years or so—been lunch. Or at least just another mammal squashed underfoot.
Living with Lab Mice

1 week ago | nautil.us | Eva Meijer

ADVERTISEMENT Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. or Join now . Zoology A philosopher reflects on their unexpected roommates Sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter: Bullie was the most caring person in the group. Whenever someone else was ill, she would sit with her and comfort her. Bram and Wezel had the strongest friendship.
Green Oceans Helped Early Bacteria Harvest Light

1 week ago | nautil.us | Katharine Gammon

Planet Earth is blue. Most of its surface is covered in water, the vast majority of which is ocean, and water generally absorbs longer wavelengths of light, such as red and orange, and reflects back the shorter blue wavelengths. When astronauts travel into space and look back at their home, they see a blue sphere in an expanse of jet black. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
Planet Nurseries Are Smaller Than We Thought

1 week ago | nautil.us | Tom Metcalfe

It’s been said astronomy is a science of the weird: Many studies of the cosmos are concerned with what is out of the ordinary. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now .
Why Our Brains Crave Ideology

1 week ago | nautil.us | Brian Gallagher

ADVERTISEMENT Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. or Join now . Neuroscience A neuroscientist reveals how to nurture authentic and flexible thinking Sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter: As the lights in the lecture hall slowly brighten, political neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod braces herself for the onslaught of questions from an audience brimming with rising hands—and one clenched fist. “Is it a question? An exclamation?
The Birds Eat the Bees

2 weeks ago | nautil.us | Jude Isabella

Few animals can stand their ground against a swarm of angry bees, but this crested honey buzzard appears unperturbed. Although the bird belongs to the same family as flesh-eating kites, hawks, and eagles, its main food is bee and wasp pupae and larvae—the developing brood found inside the insects’ nests. When the buzzards encounter a colony of honeybees—as in the image above, captured by photographer Staffan Widstrand in western Taiwan—they will lunch on honeycombs, too.
Neutron Stars Hint at Another Dimension

2 weeks ago | nautil.us | Paul Sutter

In the mid 19th century, a strange idea was growing heavy in the ether: There might be dimensions beyond the three we experience. To some—including eminent scientists of the day—these were the realms of spirits and the supernatural, accessed through tabletop seances. To Charles Hinton, a British mathematician and science-fiction writer at the time, it was something that could be puzzled out, modeled in things like his “tesseract” four-dimensional cube.
What Can We Learn from the Woolly Devil

3 weeks ago | nautil.us | Liz Lindqwister

At first glance, these little star-shaped plants look anything but intimidating. They sprout butter-yellow flowers and downy fuzz and, measuring just a few centimeters across, they are so discreet that they belong to a class of plants botanists affectionately call “belly plants”—those that are best observed while lying on the ground.
We Are a Part of Infinity

3 weeks ago | nautil.us | Brian Gallagher

ADVERTISEMENT Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. or Join now . Philosophy A neuroscientist uncovers Albert Einstein’s little known spiritual journey Sign up for the free Nautilus newsletter: When Albert Einstein was 10, his tutor, a medical student named Max Talmey, would often join the family for lunch.