The Army is investigating sea barriers to protect New York from a future Sandy. But others have doubts. Plus, the discovery that a methane-burping microbe was not a bacterium added a new branch to the tree of life: The Archaea.

Each year, we use nearly 50 billion tons of sand and gravel worldwide. Is that sustainable? Plus, a statistician developed an algorithm to figure out who wrote disputed Beatles songs.

Physicists are still trying to prove decades-old theories, but some argue the best answers may not from beautiful math. Plus, Alan Alda discusses his diagnosis with Parkinson’s.

Just how and why do city mice and country mice diverge? Plus, scientists found that a gene plays a role in determining what ant becomes a queen in a colony.

What does heredity actually mean? Carl Zimmer brings up to speed. Plus, scientists simulated a prehistoric atmosphere to deduce how much dinos actually ate.

This summer, we’re remembering the late Stephen Hawking and diving into his landmark work on black holes, the Big Bang, and the nature of the universe. Plus, a look at the psychology of happiness.

How a 19th-century surveyor’s view of climate was ahead of his time. Plus, new simulations look at a possible ancient impact that was enough to knock the planet Uranus on its side.

What’s the evolutionary story of how whales came to be the majestic, awe-inspiring animals we know today? Plus, some book picks for your summer science reading.

How can abstract math analyze social justice? Plus, the NIH just shut down a major study of the health effects of ‘moderate’ alcohol consumption. Now what?

Cephalopod Week returns! Plus, the spectrum of science that explores how light and matter interact to give us the rainbow.