Maija Niemisto is a director of education on the Clearwater, America’s environmental flagship. But when a stranger comes to the side of the ship, it heralds a discovery about her city and herself.

Mark Sam Rosenthal‘s father teaches him about the birds and the bees, but leaves out the one lesson he never learned himself.

Guy Schaffer wanted to understand the brain, but the only job he could find was in a monkey lab– a lab where a monkey attack leads to deeper set of crises.

Two stories of women who confront the craziness of scientists in their lives: one by talking to a stranger, the other by being born to her parents.

What do you do if you’re a trans woman about to transition, and you might someday want children? Elana Lancaster tells the story of a partner’s quest to freeze her sperm.

In high school, speechwriter Mark Katz made a mockery of the political process when he ran for president of Mu Alpha Theta.

Scientist Jeanne Garbarino unexpectedly finds out she’s pregnant.

Logan Smalley and his friends took a trip across the country that was everything the classic American road trip should be — except one of them was dying.

Grade-schooler (and future America’s Next Top Model contestant) Ebony Haith uncovers a shocking secret behind her new special school.

In the wake of a death in his family, Brian Wecht finds out how physicists really relate to people, and encounters the most awkward hug of his life.

Matt Mercier was failing high school physics, until he started dating a girl whose father was a physics teacher.

Allison Downey and her husband engage in the classic nature vs. nurture debate — with their own son.

Lou Serico’s childhood dream of being a scientist is tested by working in a herpes lab for his PhD.

Comedian Ophira Eisenberg is used to unexpected twists while traveling for gigs. Mostly.

A musician and performer is given a behind-the-scenes tour of the British Natural History Museum.

A political blogger learns about science the fun way: by tearing apart bad evolutionary psychology studies.

A neuroscientist looks to her own research to understand her father.