The word 'virus' gets tossed around a lot. Here's what actually counts, what to watch for, and how to stay two clicks ahead A computer virus is a type of program that, much like a regular virus, ...

Viruses are ancient. They have been infecting animals, our ancestors included, for hundreds of millions of years before the first humans ever showed up. And the legacy of those primordial infections ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Ever since viruses came to light in the late 1800s, scientists have set them apart from the rest of life. Viruses were far smaller than ...