The Story Collider

Used to the controlled uncertainties of his work, science writer Tom Levenson is forced to confront the dramatic uncertainty of whether he’ll be able to adopt a son.

When he discovers his milk has been stolen from the dorm fridge, Neer Asherie has to resort to extreme science measures to find the culprit.

Rachel Pendergrass gets her dream job: talking to visitors in an aquarium, but dealing with the questions are not what she expected.

Alan Guth is working on a fairly typical research paper, when he accidentally makes a huge discovery about the origin of the universe.

Adam Rogers gets an exciting opportunity to work in a marine biology lab, and see if he really wants to be a biologist.

Facing an incredibly important decision, April Salazar is infuriated by way scientific information about reproduction is distorted.

As a musician and writer Jimmy Wohl thought he was the ultimate creative, then he encounters a pharmaceutical marketing campaign.

Erik Vance searches for the real meaning of biology while chasing porcupines.

With her truck stuck in the mud in the Serengeti, Aerin Jacob learns three important lessons.

A remote disease comes very close to home for Queens resident Nicole Ferraro.

A Japanese particle physicist struggles to find his place (and learn English) in the American midwest.

John Rennie finds it’s great to be editor in chief of Scientific American, but not when all the ingredients of sarin gas are in his office.

As a mathematician, Adriana Salerno is used to solving problems, but depression is something else entirely.

Just after beginning a graduate program in neuroscience, Brittany Bushnell gets an unexpected look at her own brain.

A chemistry set is the perfect opportunity for Nate Charles Troisi to connect with his engineer father.

Tara Lagu's passion for beating her high school rival in the science fair turns into an unusual medical career.

A surprise email leads a biologist to NASA.

Erica Ferencik's father left his family to pursue his obsession with finding monogamy in the animal kingdom.

George Church learns a lesson on the power of nature the hard way.

Early in her career researching dolphin intelligence Diana Reiss began wondering, "Who is training who?"

At a checkpoint in Iraq, not knowing if she'll get through, Uzma Rizvi reflects on what it means to be an archaeologist.

For physicist Brian Wecht, his new baby is the perfect opportunity--to do experiments.

Ecologist Jessica Henkel finds the keys to her research truck missing, as it's parked on a remote beach with one of the biggest tides of the season about to come in.

Rose Eveleth always wanted to be fiercely independent. But sometimes being too independent has its downsides.

Sean Carroll gets a fabulous job offer—to work with Stephen Hawking—twice.

When neuroscientist Carl Hart meets with his cousin he wonders about what he now knows about psychiatric medication and society, and whether his own life is a success.

A near-fatal accident on a mountain leads exoplanet hunter David Kipping to a new goal.

Geneticist Chris Gunter worries about passing on a rare condition to her son.

An offhand sexist comment enrages Renee Hlozek, and leads her to dig into how her colleagues really view people who aren't the stereotypical scientist.

A simple interview about a bacon sandwich turns into a national, then international nightmare.

When Jon Ronson discovers a twitter account pretending to be him, he sets off to find it's creators.

A summer job in Yellowstone National Park isn't quite what Molly Payne Wynne had been expecting.

On the first day of grad school for her PhD, a fellow student tells Bianca Jones Marlin that she doesn't really belong there.

Hillary Rea enjoys her job as a "standard patient" helping to train medical students, until she's asked to sub in on a birth gone quite wrong.

When Adam Becker realizes a visiting film crew is made up of geocentrists, he has to prevent them from exploiting his adviser's work.

Erin Barker's attempt to save a college relationship leads her to a plant biology class where the professor brought an ax to class.

Obehi Janice's family struggles to understand a death their doctors can't explain.

Neuroscientist Indre Viskontas and her friends turn to science to find the right way to date.

Sports writer David Epstein tracks down some surprising health claims circulating in the football world.

The joys and dangers of getting pregnant for Tara Clancy and her wife.

Alex Bellos is surprised that people ask him what his favorite number is, so he decides to ask everyone what theirs is.

Suze Kundu is forced to abandon dancing for materials science, until materials science comes to the rescue.

Sword swallower Justin Cameron gets an unexpected lesson in anatomy and medicine.