History
Recreating the Smells of History
Using chemistry, archival records and AI, scientists are reviving the aromas of old libraries, mummies, and battlefields
How Richard Feynman Found the Root of the Challenger Disaster
The famed physicist’s persistence led him to uncover shocking failures
Did Edison Accidentally Create a Vital Superconductor?
In 1879, the inventor might have produced graphene, a crucial component of tech more than a century later
A Closer Look at an Elusive Ancient Plague
Teeth have revealed that victims traveled from far-off homelands
The Accidental Discovery of Aristotle’s Paradigm-Shifting School
The ancient institution shaped education as we know it today
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
