History
117 articles-
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. -
“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. -
The Force Was with Them
My generation of filmmakers shook up cinema forever. Where are history’s periodic surges of creativity taking us? -
Magic Died When Art and Science Split
Renée Bergland’s 3 greatest revelations while writing Natural Magic: Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, and the Dawn of Modern Science. -
The Smartphone of the Middle Ages
An accident of lighting uncovers Jewish, European, and Islamic origins.
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Is Christianity Based on Psychedelic Trips?
A radical theory that pagan cults gave rise to early Christianity.
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The Feminist Botanist
A 19th-century tale of hermaphrodite flowers, Charles Darwin, and women’s right to vote.
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The Prizefighters
If you want to know what it takes to succeed in science, head to the Nobel Prize ceremony.
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What a Bronze Age Skeleton Reveals About Cavities
Here’s a hint: He didn’t eat processed foods and sugar.
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Archaeology at the Bottom of the Sea
David Gibbins on his 3 greatest revelations while writing A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks.
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The Women Who Found Liberation in Seaweed
How a shared love of algae got a community of women hooked on marine science. -
History’s Five Best Body Part Stories
Charles I’s neck bone, Queen Victoria’s armpit, and other fabulously gruesome medical tales. -
Tesla’s Pigeon
An inventor, a bird, and a plan to connect all the minds in the world. -
Five Curiosities From Medical History
Photos from the Mütter Museum’s newly searchable collection. -
How Tourists Are Rescuing the Ancient City of Palmyra
Photographs taken from before terrorists destroyed the site are helping researchers digitally resurrect it.