Life needs more than water alone. Recent discoveries suggest that plate tectonics has played a critical role in nourishing life on Earth. The findings carry major consequences for the search for life elsewhere in the universe. Music by Audionautix.

Why Earth’s Cracked Crust May Be Essential for Life

Susan Valot narrates in-depth news episodes based on Quanta Magazine's articles about mathematics, physics, biology and computer science.

Science

Physics

Life Sciences

When it comes to bizarre forms of electricity, superconductivity is just the beginning.

Meet Strange Metals: Where Electricity May Flow Without Electrons

Gut feelings, like the stomachache one might get from overeating, are driven by the enteric "second brain" in our digestive systems.

In the Gut's 'Second Brain,' Key Agents of Health Emerge

The placenta has a unique trick for keeping immune defenses on standby, even when no viral infections threaten a pregnancy.

During Pregnancy, a Fake 'Infection' Protects the Fetus

A recent neurological study provides an unprecedented look at how number sense works in the human brain.

Why the Human Brain Perceives Small Numbers Better

An Icelandic peninsula that hadn't seen any volcanism for 800 years has now awoken. Eruptions could continue for decades or even centuries.

Why Earth’s Cracked Crust May Be Essential for Life

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