The term “theory” in science is lavished only on ideas that appear to have predictive power. But is this like performing a magician’s secret-number trick?

One physicist not on the big bang bandwagon is Geoffrey Burbidge. Now in his 80s, he has argued against the big bang for 50 years.

Hubble became known as the man who made the smartest man in the world change his mind about the structure of the universe.

Is science opening the way to a new form of human spirituality that will transcend ancient ideas of a supernatural creator? Astronomer Nahum Arav seems to think so.

A successful space shuttle mission such as the recent Endeavor journey is a triumph of human ingenuity and inventiveness over the harsh elements of extraterrestrial travel.

“Where did the universe come from?” The “big bang” theory has become the dominant answer to that question. But what happened before the big bang?

Whatever his intentions and sources were, Edgar Allan Poe would probably be surprised by how well his ideas are borne out in modern cosmology’s story of the universe.

Despite the wealth of knowledge gained both during the International Geophysical Year and since, too many of us may still take the Earth for granted.

The J. Craig Venter Institute announces that researchers there have succeeded in synthetically recreating the genome of the bacterium Mycoplasma genitalium.

William B. Hurlbut, a member of the President’s Council on Bioethics, discusses his proposed alternative to using embryonic stem cells in stem cell research.

The potential usefulness of embryonic stem cells in molecular medicine is huge, as are the ethical issues surrounding these tiny biological entities.

Last week the U.S. observed the 20^th anniversary of the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger. What can we learn on a personal level?

Is modern civilization following a potentially short flight path? Three recent books have sought to provide insight into the answer.

What is the process that makes each human a unique individual—largely the same, yet different from every other?

Uncovering the synaptic processes that gather, store and retrieve information throughout the brain is the cutting edge of modern neuroscience.

Environmentalist Bill McKibben offers some succinct thoughts on our consumer age.

Sallie Baliunas says science doesn’t support the popular view on the subject of climate change and its causes.

“Greenhouse gases” may grab the headlines, but other factors are known to play important roles in climate change as well.

The Wright brothers harnessed the laws of aerodynamics in the first sustained powered flight. Their story illustrates a more compelling challenge.

Information revealed through the decoding of DNA 50 years ago has been astounding, but there is still much to be learned. Is science up to the challenge?