Latest history Stories
Earth used to be cooler than we thought, which changes our math on global warming
The first ‘robots’ were made of flesh and bone
The life-saving space blanket has humble origins
How to save important photos and video from the web
Washington, D.C. is home to a fascinating labyrinth of tunnels
Vaccines conquered smallpox and polio, but COVID-19 looks like a tougher battle
The famous Nazca lines aren’t mysterious—but they are ingenious
How specialized X-rays reveal Picasso’s process—and his obsession
There’s no stopping this immortal jellyfish
It might not always take years to develop vaccines
In Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley,’ a Black community battles an industry that threatens its health—and history
Remembering one of history’s greatest whale explosions
How the COVID-19 pandemic might end
What really happened during the ‘Kentucky meat shower’?
Follow along as battleground states tally presidential votes
Atlantis isn’t real, but here are all the places it could have been
The story behind the most fraudulent election in history
We didn’t track hurricanes hundreds of years ago—but trees did
Egg yolk color doesn’t mean what you think it does
Landing on the moon only made us love it more
A taskforce of Black doctors is independently evaluating COVID-19 vaccine candidates
Pig sex and celery have a surprising connection
The inventor of the Rubik’s cube doesn’t get why it’s so popular
Five dolls that changed the world
America has a long history of forced sterilization
This scientist thought he’d found the source of all sexual energy
Why do beauty filters make you look whiter?
Times of strife can lead to medical innovation—when governments are willing
Infographics have helped keep us alive for centuries
Your car is probably full of spiders
Japanese anime remembers the atom bomb, decades after Hiroshima
Bird names are due for an anti-racist reckoning
Mexico City buried its river and lakes to prevent disease. But then COVID-19 happened.
Resharing videos of violence against Black people can spark more trauma
A massive volcanic eruption may have contributed to the rise of the Roman Empire
Colonial bias gave us an incorrect history of North America’s Indigenous people
General Charles Q. Brown Jr. is a historic choice to lead the Air Force
The history and mystery of America’s long-lost pickle sandwich
Black birders have never been safe or celebrated
The 160-year-old reason you’re obsessed with your lawn
How the world’s most expensive trading cards get authenticated
A brief history of menstruating in space
Why barrier contraceptives (like diaphragms) are so unpopular
Electric vehicles have come a long way since the 1890s
This scientist studies alchemy to turn historical handicrafts into modern innovations
Carrots were once a crucial tool in anti-Nazi propaganda
Inside a frozen tunnel hiding the galaxy’s biggest secrets
This 17th-century plague diary hits a little too close to home
The Sahara Desert was once flooded with history’s most vicious dinosaurs
Looking back on 50 years of Earth Days
Tomatoes, tempura, and other foods whose origins will surprise you
Three ancient optical illusions explained by modern science
Archaeologists and construction workers are teaming up to unearth historic relics
Twelve classic products that were perfect from the start
Animal Crossing’s most elusive fish has a bizarre real-life backstory
Does coffee make you poop, or is that just me?
There was only ever one true Ferris Wheel, and we blew it up
Five surprising ways people have used (and are still using) bones
Thank syphilis for these three major fashion trends
Katherine Johnson, whose calculations enabled the first moonwalk, dies at 101
The prejudice stemming from the coronavirus outbreak isn’t new
How much acid should you give an elephant? These scientists learned the hard way.
The ‘chew chew cult’ is a Victorian diet fad that should really, really never come back
Our average body temperatures seem to be dropping