The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Animal vocalizations made during play are a close analogue to human laughter.

Tooth sensitivity is a common dental problem that involves discomfort or pain in teeth when encountering certain substances and temperatures. At least 40 million adults suffer from sensitive teeth in the United States, according to the Academy of General…

We all have ups and downs to life. How do you deal with the downs? Do you numb yourself and avoid them? Or do you find the hidden gift held within them? Each time a painful emotion is felt, it provides an opportunity. Pain gives us the gift of growth in a…

Learn more about a global history of architecture in a brief manner, with the highlights on the most significant moments and pertinent styles.

People can understand these "iconic vocalizations" regardless of their spoken language.

Extreme weather is rapidly eroding the limestone caves where people first drew images 40,000 years ago.

When it comes to dividing animals along sex lines, evolution is known for getting creative. The chromosomes that determine baby-making functions have been reinvented so often throughout the ages, it's hard to keep track.

Scientists discover a new way to monitor airborne plastic particles. But do they harm bees?

By restoring ecosystems, conservationists can help the land sequester carbon. But it's still no substitute for drastically cutting emissions.

Your name is often the first piece of information strangers learn about you and it can have a surprising impact on how others perceive you.

Many see the sprawling Dandora dump as an insurmountable problem, but Nzambi Matee sees millions of super strong, super cheap plastic bricks, just waiting to be baked.

One hundred fifty years ago, Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table, a system for classifying atoms based on the properties of their nuclei. This week, a team of biologists studying the tree of life has unveiled a new classification system for cell nuclei…

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The biggest fish might not be from the biggest fish species.

Read an excerpt from Donna Stein's new memoir, "The Empress and I: How an Ancient Empire Collected, Rejected and Rediscovered Modern Art."

Emissions of the greenhouse gas commonly known as laughing gas are soaring. Can we cut emissions from its greatest anthropogenic source?