Modern Countries
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No Place Compares to the Unrelenting Lifelessness of Peru’s Sechura Desert
From the lush, tropical mountains, we descended into a landscape of flailing-armed cacti, spiny succulents like giant artichokes and sand dunes as high as mountains
January 10, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Gonorrhea Mutates Into Treatment-Resistant Superbug
The world may be at the brink of an epidemic of drug-resistent gonorrhea, though simply using condoms could save the day
January 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Tide’s a Smart Product to Steal Even If You’re Not Addicted to Drugs
It's a criminal strategy that comes with low risks and high rewards.
January 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Novice’s Guide to Venturing Into the World of Craft Beer
From food pairings to the best brews for beginners, Dan Koester presents a comprehensive guide to craft beer
January 09, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
You Can Now Buy Space Shuttle Launch Facilities
Haven't you always wanted to own a launch pad?
January 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Candor and Lies of Nazi Officer Albert Speer
The minister of armaments was happy to tell his captors about the war machine he had built. But it was a different story when he was asked about the Holocaust
January 08, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts
The crew of Apollo 15 placed a small aluminum sculpture on the moon to memorialize those astronauts had died
January 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Two Americans Charged in Narwhal-Tusk Smuggling Ring Bust
For the past decade, these two men have allegedly been smuggling narwhal tusks
January 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About San Francisco’s Cable Cars
Ever since they became a part of the city’s transit system, they have been iconic mainstays of its cityscape
January 04, 2013 |
By Jeff Greenwald
NASA Wants to Drag an Asteroid Into Orbit Around the Moon
If going to an asteroid is hard, maybe bringing an asteroid to us is easier?
January 03, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Hankie Coated in Beheaded Louis XVI’s Blood Found in Dried Squash
Two centuries after King Louis XVI's execution, researchers think they've found a revolutionary souvenir from that fateful day
January 02, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Arctic Offshore Drilling Still Going Poorly As Shell’s Rig Runs Aground
The recent mishap is part of a string of troubles that Shell has encountered in its efforts to drill in the frigid Gulf
January 02, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Little-Known Legend of Jesus in Japan
A mountain hamlet in northern Japan claims Jesus Christ was buried there
January 2013 |
By Franz Lidz
The Vegas Hotspot That Broke All the Rules
America’s first interracial casino helped end segregation on the Strip and proved that the only color that mattered was green
January 2013 |
By Kevin Cook
The Smithsonian Heads to Hawaii
Coral reefs and radio telescopes make a trip to the tropics more than worthwhile
January 2013 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
How One Museum Looks to Combat Ageism
A new exhibit in Israel educates kids that being old shouldn’t translate to being sidelined
January 2013 |
By Shoshana Kordova
A Look Into Brazil’s Makeover of Rio’s Slums
The Brazilian government’s bold efforts to clean up the city’s notoriously dangerous favelas is giving hope to people who live there
January 2013 |
By Joshua Hammer
You Know You Want To Snoop Around Marilyn Monroe’s Secret FBI File
Freshly un-redacted FBI files paint Monroe as a bit of a communist
December 31, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
This School Is Getting Girls Into Physics
The gap between boys and girls in math and engineering seems to start early and continue through college. But one school in the UK is trying to buck that trend
December 31, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Genetically Modified Salmon Should Be Headed to a Plate Near You
Designed to bulk up twice as fast as a regular fish, Frankenfish should get FDA approval soon
December 28, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz

