Scholars
Leading intellectuals in the fields of history, philosophy and science
Henry Morton Stanley's Unbreakable Will
The explorer of Dr. Livingstone-fame provides a classic character study of how willpower works
December 2011 |
By Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney
History Heroes: Marc Bloch
The scholar created a whole new way of looking at history, but found time to fight in two World Wars–latterly, aged 60, as a leader of the French Resistance
November 10, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
The Origin of a Little Tyrant
Is "Nanotyrannus" a small-bodied tyrannosaur, a juvenile of some unknown species, or a young Tyrannosaurus rex?
November 08, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
William Shakespeare, Gangster
Could the gentle Bard have been a thug? A scholar's discovery in the British Archives adds a different stroke to the portrait of one of the most admired but least-known men in English letters
November 07, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
Q and A with Alan Alda on Marie Curie
A new play explains how despite the many challenges, the famous scientist didn’t stop trailblazing after her first Nobel
November 03, 2011 |
By Casey Rentz
Five Historic Female Mathematicians You Should Know
Albert Einstein called Emmy Noether a "creative mathematical genius"
October 07, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Invasive Species We Can Blame On Shakespeare
There are 200 million European starlings in North America, and they are a menace
October 04, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Six Secrets of Polonium
This rare and dangerous element, discovered by Marie Curie, is found in cigarettes and was used to poison an ex-KGB agent
October 03, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Madame Curie's Passion
The pioneering physicist's dedication to science made it difficult for outsiders to understand her, but a century after her second Nobel prize, she gets a second look
October 2011 |
By Julie Des Jardins
Ten Historic Female Scientists You Should Know
Before Marie Curie, these women dedicated their lives to science and made significant advances
September 20, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Gavrilo Princip’s Sandwich
Was it really a lunch-hour coincidence that led to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914—and, by extension, to the great global catastrophes of the 20th century?
September 15, 2011 |
By Mike Dash
The First Supernova
In 185 A.D., someone in China looked up in the night sky and saw a new star
September 06, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
An Ode to Archaeopteryx
The many fuzzy and feathery dinosaurs that have been discovered reveal one of the most magnificent evolutionary transformations in the history of life
August 26, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
Katharine Hepburn's Connecticut beach house and 8,900 other homes were swept into the sea
August 25, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Q and A: Smithsonian's Elizabeth Cottrell on the Virginia Earthquake
A Smithsonian geologist offers her expertise on the seismic event that shook much of the mid-Atlantic this week
August 24, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Dinosaurs for Experts, or for Everyone?
Mounting a full dinosaur skeleton, some paleontologists believed, had more to do with art and architecture than with science
August 15, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Founding Fathers, Great Gardeners
In her new book, Andrea Wulf argues that the founding fathers' love of gardening shaped their vision of America
August 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
What is Killing the Bats?
Can scientists stop white-nose syndrome, a new disease that is killing bats in catastrophic numbers?
August 2011 |
By Michelle Nijhuis
Tendaguru’s Lost World
The African fossil sites preserve dinosaur fossils that are strangely similar to their North American counterparts
July 28, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Barnum Brown’s Paleo Pick
Does "Mr. Bones" really deserve credit for inventing an essential field tool?
July 26, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
