History
131 articles-
Remembering the Genius Who Inspired Celebration of the Mind Day
Martin Gardner wanted to make math mathemagical -
This Natural History Museum Heist Rivals the Louvre Robbery
A young music student lifted nearly 300 rare bird specimens from a British museum -
DNA’s Death Notice
See original manuscripts, letters, photos, and jokes from luminaries like Rosalind Franklin, Aaron Klug, and Linus Pauling -
These Early Humans Walked 8 Miles for the Perfect Rock
The quest for better tools is more ancient than we thought -
When the Ocean Floor Came Alive
The first map of the Atlantic seafloor revealed a dynamic world under the waves -
The Tortured Paths of the Wound Man
From medical diagram to international artwork -
Replacement Windows to the Soul
For millennia, artisans have been trying to capture the mystique of the human eye -
The Dangers of Hot Air
What happens when we backpedal on basic science -
Neanderthals Might Have Shared Family Recipes
Cave remains found in Israel point to unique, locally specific culinary practices among our ancient ancestors -
How to Make the Bread That Fueled the Pyramids
And the beer that gave rise to civilizations, too.
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Monumental Burial Mounds Rewrite Ancient History
The colossal structures, built by hunter-gatherers, are way older than archaeologists had thought possible
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A Truer Story of Native America
Pulitzer-winner Kathleen DuVal on Indigenous power in colonial times
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The Surprising History of Scientific Ballooning in 11 Missions
It started with farm animals—now it’s revealing secrets of the cosmos
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The Genius of Benjamin Franklin
Richard Munson’s 3 greatest revelations while writing Ingenious, his biography of Franklin, the scientist.
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How the Occult Gave Birth to Science
For scientists of yore anything—from mermaids to alchemy—was on the table. -
“This Is a Great Day with Me”
Alexander Graham Bell reflects on the very first telephone call in a letter to his father. -
Is Discovery Inevitable or Serendipitous?
The role of chance and predictability in scientific breakthroughs. -
How History Did the Dodo Wrong
Who are you calling inept and unfit? -
The Perpetual Quest for a Truth Machine
Why human attempts to mechanize logic keep breaking down.