Continents
Biking Ecuador’s Spectacular Avenue of the Volcanoes
Home to a string of high peaks, including 20,564-foot Chimborazo, the area offers some of the finest cycling, hiking and adventuring country anywhere
March 03, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
This Simple Test Could Help Stop River Blindness
River blindness, one of the world's leading causes of blindness, begins when a small parasitic worm wiggles its way into human skin
March 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Why Did (or Didn’t) the Meerkat Cross the Road?
Dominant female meerkats hang back to let subordinates cross busy, dangerous roads first
March 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Why Was This Man an Outcast Among Anthropologists?
Napoleon Chagnon’s new memoir reignites the firestorm over his study of the Yanomamö
March 2013 |
By Joshua Hammer
Hunting for Gold in the Amazonian Jungle
The author joins two American fortune-seekers on a gold-panning outing at the confluence of the Negro and Paute rivers
February 28, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Overzealous Male Frogs Practice a Practical Sort of Necrophilia
Both males and females still get to pass on their genes to the next generation, despite one of them being dead
February 27, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
What Makes These Avocados Different From All Others?
The spectrum of the fruit here is almost as varied as the people who grow them, and for avo advocates, Ecuador is a excellent place to go tasting
February 26, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Investigation: China Covertly Condones Trade in Tiger Skins and Bones
The Chinese government says it is committed to saving tigers from extinction, yet it legalized trade in captive-bred big cats' skin and bones
February 26, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Scientific American in 1875: Eating Horse Meat Would Boost the Economy
Where did our aversion to horse meat come from, and why did Scientific American think we should eat it anyway?
February 25, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
For Female Golden Moles, Size Does Matter
Females judge potential mates by their penis sizes, which they use to gauge a male's attractiveness for copulation
February 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The World’s Greatest Angling Authors Went by Names Like ‘Badger Hackle’ and ‘Old Log’
If you're an angler and an author, there's a good chance you're using a pen name
February 21, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Vilcabamba: Paradise Going Bad?
Life in this legendary town in Ecuador's Valley of Longevity may be too good—and too long—to be true
February 20, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Amateur Naturalists Are Discovering All Kinds of New Insect Species
More and more, amateurs are contributing to the discovery of new species, especially of insects - but can they keep ahead of the extinction curve?
February 19, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Europe Is Warmer Than Canada Because of the Gulf Stream, Right? Not So Fast
A long-accepted explanation for a warm Europe is up for debate
February 18, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Appreciate Weird, Adorable Pangolins Before They’re Gone
Across Asia, a plague of hunting has hit pangolins, though it's not too late to save these intriguing creatures from extinction
February 15, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
When Cane Juice Meets Yeast: Brewing in Ecuador
The sugarcane trail takes the author across the Andes, into home liquor distilleries and from juice shack to juice shack as he pursues fermented sugarcane wine
February 14, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Why Have So Many of Tibet’s Monks Set Themselves on Fire?
More than 100 Tibetan monks have set themselves aflame in the past four years
February 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Real-Life Turkish Vampire Now Cured
A man just recovered from a condition his doctor called "clinical vampirism"—which was characterized by insatiable cravings for human blood
February 13, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In the Middle East, Supplies of Fresh Water Are Dwindling
A 2007 drought, and an over-reliance on groundwater, means the the Middle East's aquifers are fading
February 13, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
A Restaurant in Japan Is Serving a $110 Tasting Menu Featuring Dirt
Japan's foodies have turned their attention to a new delicacy on Tokyo menus; will dirt turn up next in haute cuisine in New York and London?
February 12, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
