History
135 articles-
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 -
Medieval Medical Misinformation Persists
A 14th-century tale still promotes dubious origins behind the deadliest known pandemic -
The 19th-Century Entomologist Who Dreamed Up Daylight Savings
Hungry for more light to find insects, this scientist championed the “unscientific and impractical” idea of changing time -
Meet the Real Frankenstein
The Italian scientist who sparked an electric revolution that led to the beloved horror story—and the battery -
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
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Replacement Windows to the Soul
For millennia, artisans have been trying to capture the mystique of the human eye
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Neanderthals Might Have Shared Family Recipes
Cave remains found in Israel point to unique, locally specific culinary practices among our ancient ancestors
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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 -
The History Hidden in Names
Etchings in ancient Hebrew artifacts reveal nuanced social dynamics -
The Surprising History of Scientific Ballooning in 11 Missions
It started with farm animals—now it’s revealing secrets of the cosmos -
The Genius of Benjamin Franklin
Richard Munson’s 3 greatest revelations while writing Ingenious, his biography of Franklin, the scientist. -
How the Occult Gave Birth to Science
For scientists of yore anything—from mermaids to alchemy—was on the table.