While hunting for fossils of some of Earth's oldest organisms, paleontologist Phoebe Cohen and her geologist friend encounter a problem with one of Earth's more recently evolved organisms.
Read MoreTom Levenson: Wide open spaces and the long road home
As a young man Tom Levenson tries to follow his deceased father's advice, and takes a wide detour that leads him to contemplate life at the base of Newton's tree.
Read MoreBlaise Allysen Kearsley: How babies are made
Writer Blaise Allysen Kearsley asks the question: how do you learn about sexuality when no one tells you anything useful, and everyone else seems to know what they're doing?
Read MoreMatt Danzico: Strangers on the Internet
In 2007, Matt Danzico engages in a massive project to show that strangers on the internet can be trusted -- and finds himself in the middle of nowhere with a broken-down bus and a stranger with a gun.
Read MoreDavid Gelles: Have fun, be safe... in an ocean
At ten years old, David Gelles finds himself abandoned and swimming in an ocean with a storm coming. Alone. Except for the pod of dolphins.
Read MoreSteven Puente: A therapist learns it's ok to cry
A young social worker, working with a military vet, discovers that part of his own shame is one of the most powerful tools in therapy.
Read MoreEric Feldman: Molecules aren't real
As a college student majoring in Chemistry, Eric Feldman becomes obsessed with a single idea: molecules aren’t real.
Read MoreMeghan Groome: Being brave about sex-ed
Meghan Groome encounters a young science teachers rite of passage: teaching sex-ed. But it’s not until her honors class that the full reality hits her.
Read MoreEd Gavagan: They did that to me
As Ed Gavagan watches medical students practice sutures on the subway, he remembers his own traumatic experience.
Read MoreDawn Fraser: One in a million
When Dawn Fraser’s twin is diagnosed with Down syndrome, their parents decide to raise them as equals — a task that produced a new twist on the racetrack.
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