Middle East
How Can the U.S. Government Know If Syrian Combatants Were Affected by Sarin Gas?
Reports from the White House that sarin gas were used in Syria, but how could you test for it?
April 26, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher Dies at Age 87
Margaret Tatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain and first woman to lead a Western power, died today at the age of 87
April 08, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The United States Isn’t the Only Country Asking the Gay Marriage Question
The U.S. isn't the only nation struggling with the gay marriage issue. Here are where the debate stands in other countries around the world
March 29, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
People in Israel Really Are Eating Swarming Locusts
While there are simply too many locusts to eat the swarm out of existence, Israelis who do tuck in can enjoy a healthy, kosher snack
March 22, 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
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
How to Revive a Lost Language
By the year 2100, the human race will have lost about 50% of the languages alive today. Every fourteen days a language dies. There are some success stories though
February 08, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Women Are Awesome at Science, But Not So Much in the U.S.
Science savvy female teens in Asia, east and south Europe and the Middle East outperform males in science aptitude, but the opposite is true in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe
February 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This Drone Can Fit In Your Palm
The Black Hornet currently rank as the world's smallest military-grade spy drone, weighing just 16 grams and measuring at 4 inches long
February 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Iran Says It Sent This Traumatized-Looking Monkey to Space
Western nations fear the same technologies deployed in Iran's space program could be used to develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads
January 28, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
It’s the Final Day of the Doha Climate Talks, And, Uh, Did Anything Actually Happen?
Reports from Doha don't provide much hope that any progress has been made on the increasingly urgent issue of global climate change
December 07, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Have GPS Devices Taken the Fun out of Navigation?
With the rise of the digital age, the fascinating skills of map reading and celestial navigation are becoming lost arts
December 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Marking 50 Years of Luxurious Travel With James Bond
Since 1962, the films have introduced the world to all sorts of exotic, jaw-dropping destinations
November 08, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Five Places Outside America Where the U.S. Election Matters
American citizens aren't the only ones concerned about the outcome of tomorrow's election
November 05, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Should Americans Travel to the Middle East?
Today the area is often perceived as a murky and dangerous blur on the map. But how unsafe, really, is this area for tourists?
October 23, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Saudi Arabia, World’s Largest Oil Exporter, Pushes for Solar at Home
Saudi Arabia is going green so that it can keep selling its oil
October 09, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Where Travelers Go to Pay Their Respects
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum is not a fun place to go, yet tourists flock here, and to
other somber sites around the world
October 09, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
UNESCO-Listed Medieval Souk in Syria Burned, Bombed
Aleppo, the site of an ancient UNESCO-listed souk in Syria, went up in flames on Sunday as clashes between troops and rebels infiltrated the market quarter.
October 03, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Snakes: The Good, the Bad and the Deadly
With venom so potent it can kill a person in just 30 minutes, the black mamba is a snake to avoid—while others are worth learning about before you cast your judgment
October 03, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
Stressed Out Species Aren’t Adapting in the Ways We Think They Should
Some animals are adapting to habitat destruction, but not always in the way that we would like
September 26, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz


