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History

A Closer Look at an Elusive Ancient Plague

Teeth have revealed that victims traveled from far-off homelands

January 22, 2026

The Accidental Discovery of Aristotle’s Paradigm-Shifting School

The ancient institution shaped education as we know it today

January 14, 2026

C-Sections Have a Surprisingly Ancient History

And their meaning has shifted over millennia

January 14, 2026

Pompeii’s Early Baths Were Petri Dishes

Things improved with an impressive aqueduct system—if you don’t count lead contamination

January 13, 2026

When Fake Nuclear Disaster Fallout Reached Los Angeles

A 1965 test revealed how people would fare if a nuclear rocket launch went wrong

January 12, 2026

The Amateur Archaeologist Who Found the Wrong Troy

Heinrich Schliemann was a thousand years off the mark—but he did still make meaningful discoveries

January 6, 2026

X-rays Were a Life-Saving Accident

More than a century ago, a lucky accident gave us a revolutionary new look at our bodies

January 5, 2026

When Canaries Actually Worked in Coal Mines

These feathery gas detectors became beloved pets in the dark depths

December 30, 2025

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

December 16, 2025

Crick and Watson Did Not Steal Franklin’s Data

Matthew Cobb’s 3 greatest revelations while writing his book Crick: A Mind in Motion

December 4, 2025

Did Volcanoes Spark the Black Death?

New research points the finger for precipitating Europe’s most deadly pandemic at scores of massive eruptions

December 4, 2025

Easter Island Statue Construction Wasn’t a Top-Down Affair

New research reveals moai creation was a decentralized process

November 26, 2025