History
Pompeii’s Early Baths Were Petri Dishes
Things improved with an impressive aqueduct system—if you don’t count lead contamination
When Fake Nuclear Disaster Fallout Reached Los Angeles
A 1965 test revealed how people would fare if a nuclear rocket launch went wrong
The Amateur Archaeologist Who Found the Wrong Troy
Heinrich Schliemann was a thousand years off the mark—but he did still make meaningful discoveries
X-rays Were a Life-Saving Accident
More than a century ago, a lucky accident gave us a revolutionary new look at our bodies
When Canaries Actually Worked in Coal Mines
These feathery gas detectors became beloved pets in the dark depths
An Ancient Fingerprint Among Clues to a 2,000-year-old Invasion of Denmark
Previously unexamined, “remarkable” evidence could help scientists track down the unsuccessful attackers whose boat was thrown in a bog
Crick and Watson Did Not Steal Franklin’s Data
Matthew Cobb’s 3 greatest revelations while writing his book Crick: A Mind in Motion
Did Volcanoes Spark the Black Death?
New research points the finger for precipitating Europe’s most deadly pandemic at scores of massive eruptions
Easter Island Statue Construction Wasn’t a Top-Down Affair
New research reveals moai creation was a decentralized process
Ancient Folklore Upends Dangerous Savanna Myths
Literature from western India describe diverse savanna landscapes, defying the dogma that these ecosystems resulted from relatively recent deforestation
Ancient Roman Glass Reveals a Hidden “Language”
Closer inspection of prized Roman possessions has highlighted the possible networks of the artisans behind them
How the Spoils of an Infamous Heist Traveled the World
The Stone of Scone may have been returned, but bits of this sacred object were distributed in a hidden network
