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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
Why Oliver Sacks is One of the Great Modern Adventurers
The neurologist’s latest investigations of the mind explore the mystery of hallucinations – including his own
December 2012 |
By Ron Rosenbaum
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dinosaurian Oddities
A new book argues that dinosaur reconstructions, which stretch skin over bone, are bound to be inaccurate and imagines what the creatures may have looked with more fat, feathers and accessory adornments
November 30, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
The Insane Amount of Biodiversity in One Cubic Foot
David Liittschwager travels to the world's richest ecosystems, photographing all the critters that pass through his "biocube" in 24 hours
November 30, 2012 |
By Jeff Greenwald
1 Million Dollars Worth of Rare Dictionaries About to Go on Sale
On December 4, a collection of rare old dictionaries will go on auction at Bonhams in New York City
November 30, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In Denmark, Cinderella Wore Galoshes
Cinderella isn't a Disney story, and earlier versions are, well, different
November 29, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Meals That Starving Travelers Dream Of
Daydreaming of food is a tradition as old as the saga of man versus wild. What would you wish to eat if you were starving in a tent or a dinghy at sea?
November 28, 2012 |
By Alastair Bland
The Science of Cooking a Turkey, and Other Thanksgiving Dishes
In a new book, the editors of Cook's Illustrated share some secrets to preparing the perfect holiday feast
November 20, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Geronimo’s Appeal to Theodore Roosevelt
Held captive far longer than his surrender agreement called for, the Apache warrior made his case directly to the president
November 09, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Amazing Close-Ups of Seeds
A scientist-artist duo creates stunning images, taken through a scanning electron microscope, of seeds in the Millennium Seed Bank
November 09, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Happy Birthday to the Father of the Modern Vampire
If Bram Stoker were alive today, he'd be 165—pretty young for a vampire
November 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Science of Good Cooking: Tips From America’s Test Kitchen
The newest book from Christopher Kimball and company pairs good food with good science
November 05, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Alan Dudley’s Wondrous Array of Animal Skulls
A new book delivers fascinating photographs of over 300 skulls from the British taxidermist's personal collection—the largest in the world
October 31, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Guilt-Free Meat-Eating Strategy: Hunt Invasive Species
A new book describes how invasive species may provide vegetarians a welcome meat-eating freebie
October 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In Honor of Wikipedia’s Near-Completion, Here Are Its Most Awesomely Weird Entries
Many of the main articles that the encyclopedia might have, from history to math and science, are almost complete. Thankfully we still have the weird Wikipedia entries to keep us entertained
October 26, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Young People Still Love Libraries
Most Americans between 16 - 29 still use the library to get books—real, paper books
October 23, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Dress Codes and Etiquette, Part 2: Diana Vreeland vs. Emily Post on Vulgarity
How much drama is too much? These two famous women, who wielded power over how we dress, could have debated the subject
October 23, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Designing Lives and Building Stories, Chris Ware’s Comic Book Epic
In Building Stories, cartoonist Chris Ware presents the banality of everyday life as a stunning comic epic
October 18, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
161 Years Ago Today Ahab First Battled the White Whale, and Critics Hated It
Today marks the 161st anniversary of Moby Dick, the epic seafaring tale by Herman Melville, and Google is celebrating with its own Doodle
October 18, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Scientific Reason Lena Dunham Got a $3.5 Million Book Advance
Last week, Random House offered a whopping $3.5 million for Lena Dunham's first book, Not That Kind of Girl - but why?
October 15, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer


