The True, The Real And The Beautiful: 7 Years Of 'Cosmos And Culture' Through science commentary, we created a place for exploration of deep, complex issues. There's a hunger in all of us for more than just facts — we hunger for meaning, says astrophysicist Adam Frank.

A Thank You To NPR's Science Commentary Readers For 6 1/2 years, Barbara J. King has written commentaries for NPR on everything from animals and anthropology to gender and higher education. Here, she offers up some of her favorite pieces.

From The Big Bang To This Commentary In 13.7, we aimed to present the passion, the drama, the social and intellectual relevance of science as one of the deepest expressions of engagement with the unknown, says physicist Marcelo Gleiser.

Giving Notice: Reflections On Capturing The Light For years, 13.7 has brought opinions on science and culture to NPR's online readers. Commentator Tania Lombrozo reflects on her time writing for the blog, and on the science and culture of writing.

What Do Hamburgers Have To Do With Gender? Meat and veggie burgers evolved together in the 20th century, but when it comes to associations with gender, their histories diverge. Anthropologist Barbara J. King explores a new book on the topic.

Suffering From Nature Deficit Disorder? Try Forest Bathing Positive scientific results aside, the idea of shinrin-yoku shouldn't be surprising: Who hasn't felt an inner sense of well-being when walking along a forest trail? asks commentator Marcelo Gleiser.

Time Travel With Your Fridge? If the history of thermodynamics can teach us anything, it is that modest entropy reversals have not taken us back in time at all. But it is more fun to think otherwise, says guest Jimena Canales.

Is Humanity Unusual In The Cosmos? Commentator Adam Frank talks with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb about exo-civilizations, techno-signatures, and the search for alien life — living or long-gone.

Teaching And Learning At The Boundaries Of 2 Cultures We all stand to lose from the gulf between the sciences and the humanities, and the classroom is the ideal place for conversations between these two cultures to unfold, says professor Marcelo Gleiser.