STEM in the Nation's Capital

Profiles, interviews, and features on the science shaping D.C. — reported, edited, and designed by the students at the front of the room.

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Featured Stories

Featured Stories from The Catalyst.

Exploring groundbreaking research and the brilliant minds driving innovation in D.C. and beyond.

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Challenge Yourself

The Catalyst Vault.

A new cipher every issue — four riddles, one code, one attempt. Only the sharpest minds will unlock the Winners' Lounge.

New Puzzle · Issue No. 04

Can you crack The Catalyst Vault?

Four riddles, each resolving to a single English word. The number of letters in that word is the dial's digit — and you get one attempt.

01.  my maker never needs me, my buyer never uses me, my user never knows me
02.  no mouth, yet I answer every call in your own voice
03.  name me aloud and I am already broken
04.  a bed I never sleep in, a mouth that never speaks

Enter the 4-digit code

Accept the Challenge