Author: Frederick Stankus

My queen was a dud, and her replacement had been murdered.

Staph bacteria (red) forming a biofilmNational Science Foundation A common enemy befouls surgeons, plumbers, and sailors alike: slime. In each of their professions, they wage ceaseless war against biofouling—layers of living organisms that stick around exactly where we don’t want them.  Removing these various scum layers is a billion-dollar endeavor. Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free […]

NASA engineer Rabindra Mehta explains the aerodynamics of the World Cup soccer ball.

Most creatures flee storms, but some thrive because of them.

A 2018 mission will send a probe to within 4 million miles of the sun.

A landmark use of deep focus in film: The young Charles Foster Kane—in the background, but still in focus—is sent away by his poor parents in Colorado to live with a wealthy banker in New York.Mercury Productions / RKO Radio Pictures This is part one of a three-part series about the movie industry’s switch to […]

Neutrinos can flit between states effortlessly, hinting at deep new physics.

The success of the Mormon religion is a study in social adaptation.

Gyandromorphs overturn traditional theories of sexual development.