The word “recondite” means something difficult or impossible for someone with ordinary knowledge to understand. It is an ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. In 1950 the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi was discussing the possibility of intelligent alien life with his colleagues. If alien ...

Complexity science can help archaeologists understand how the everyday actions of ancient people accumulated into the ...

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.” — E. F. Schumacher A growing company is a good thing.

Surrounding our solar system is a natural and enigmatic cosmic shield called the heliosphere — and a new mission has launched to help astronomers better understand it. Created by the solar wind, a ...

Archaeologists say they have discovered the ruins of what they believe are the boundaries of an ancient temple belonging to the mysterious Andean society of Tiwanaku that disappeared around AD 1000.