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Since Jaws scared a nation of moviegoers out of the water nearly 50 years ago, great white sharks have attained a mythic status as the most frightening and mysterious monsters to still live among us. Journalist Susan Casey became obsessed with these awe-inspiring creatures and has joined scientists on their expeditions to study the species. Dive in as Casey discusses her time spent among the great whites as well as the latest in great white shark research.

Theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll is known for his unique approach to sharing physics with a broad audience. Drawing on his new book Quanta and Fields, he takes on quantum field theory—how modern physics describes nature at its most profound level. He offers accessible, straightforward perspectives on topics from why matter is solid to the sizes of atoms to why the predictions of quantum field theory are so spectacularly successful.

From their intricate social structures to their remarkable hunting techniques, otters captivate observers with their cleverness, charisma, and resilience. Erin Whatley and Paul Bradenburger, animal keepers with Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, reveal fascinating details about the natural history of these furry, semi-aquatic mammals—and reveal secrets of otter care at the zoo.

Over the centuries, wild cat species have been inspirations for art, religion, mythology, and legends. They have also been a source of terror for many humans. Despite this, cats have somehow ingratiated themselves into our homes. Biologist Robert Johnson examines their evolution, highlights some of the most intriguing species, and provides insight into feline behavior, conservation status, and adaptations that make cats such effective predators.

Stories that are told about octopuses involve escaping from aquariums, inventing tools, and holding grudges. But how many of these tales are true? Scientists have indeed documented extraordinary cognitive capacity and behavioral flexibility in octopuses and their close relatives, squids and cuttlefish, who are all members of the cephalopod group of animals. Biologist Danna Staaf sorts fact from fancy and considers what we can learn from them about our definition of intelligence.

From Indonesia to Iceland, hundreds of islands across the globe were formed by once so-called submarine volcanoes. Submarine volcanoes are exactly what they sound like: volcanoes located beneath the ocean’s surface, which behave differently than terrestrial ones. Dive deep with volcanologist Samuel Mitchell as he explains what is known about these volcanoes and why we should be both curious and cautious about them.

Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park is situated atop the Blue Ridge, a prominent mountain range formed during the ancient smash-up between ancestral North America and Africa. Known for its spectacular views, the park contains formations that tell compelling geologic stories. Geologist Callan Bentley can read these rocks and translate their tales from deep time.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has begun a 20-year mission of observation that promises to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Kelly Beatty, senior editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, reveals how astronomers are using the telescope’s state-of-the-art instruments and enormous optical system to detect extremely faint infrared objects from both the very near and very distant universe—information that can help in identifying the earliest stars and galaxies to form after the Big Bang and in exploring the planetary systems of other stars.

While all sorts of climate-related issues are in the news, we have solved planet-threatening problems before, atmospheric scientist Susan Solomon argues, and we can do it again. The path to success begins when an environmental problem becomes both personal and perceptible to the general public, Solomon says. She tells stories of environmental victories against ozone depletion, smog, pesticides, and lead whose heroes include angry mothers, gang members turned social activists, and iconoclastic scientists.

It’s all about who you know when you’re an animal. For vampire bats sharing blood meals to survive, macaque monkeys forming grooming pacts after a deadly hurricane, and great tit birds learning the best way to steal milk, it pays to be well-connected. In this tour of the animal kingdom, evolutionary biologist Lee Alan Dugatkin describes social networks that existed long before the dawn of human social media.