Eras
Eras are periods of time defined by geologic or historic events
Sophie Blanchard – The High Flying Frenchwoman Who Revealed the Thrill and Danger of Ballooning
Blanchard was said to be afraid of riding in a carriage, but she became one of the great promoters of human flight
October 18, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The History of Trick Or Treating Is Weirder Than You Thought
It's almost that time of year when underaged kids get into costume and traipse around the neighborhood ringing doorbells and begging for treats
October 18, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Did Dinosaurs Eat Ants?
The weird alvarezsaurs look perfectly-adapted to eating termites, but how can we find out what they really ate?
October 17, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Digital Laser Scans of Stonehenge Reveal Ancient Graffiti
The first complete 3D laser scan of Stonehenge's iconic prehistoric stone circle revealed ancient graffiti and meticulous alignment with the winter and summer solstice
October 15, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A is for Agujaceratops
Though little-known to the public, Agujaceratops plays an important role in tracing one particular episode in dinosaur evolution
October 15, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
This is a Map of Every War Ever
The Battle of Jericho is the first entry in a massive project that sees the dates, locations, and brief descriptions for thousands of human conflicts overlaid on a scrollable, zoom-able map
October 12, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Bafflement Over the European Union’s Peace Prize Win
The European Union received the Nobel Peace Prize this morning, much to the dismay of many Europeans and Tweeters
October 12, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Shrew-Eating Scientists Show Humans Can Digest Bone
Scientists set out to measure how well we digest bone by swallowing a whole shrew, but was that really necessary?
October 09, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
How Did Dinosaurs Sleep?
A lovely little fossil shows how some dinosaurs said goodnight
October 09, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Today’s Physics Nobel Prize Didn’t Go to the Higgs
The winning research centers around figuring out the way light behaves at a very fundamental level - a field called "quantum optics"
October 09, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Archaeologists Uncover Massive Stone Age Complex in Scotland
A 5,000-year old temple complex may have been the centre of Stone Age British culture
October 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Two Newest Nobel Prize Winners Opened Up Pandora’s Box of Stem Cell Research And Cloning
Today's Nobel Prize in medicine went to Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon for their work on stem cell research and cloning
October 08, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
When Did Human-Neanderthal Hook Ups End?
Upper Paleolithic humans coming out of Africa lost romantic interest in Neanderthals about 47,000 years ago
October 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Maya Holy Snake Queen’s Tomb Unearthed in Guatemala
Glyphs carved into a ceramic jar indicate that scientists found the burial chamber of Lady K'abel, a seventh-century Maya Holy Snake Lord who is considered one of the great queens of Classic Maya civilization
October 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Haplocanthosaurus–A Morrison Mystery
Without a skull, determining the dinosaur's relationships is difficult
October 04, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Zoom Around This Detailed Map of the Ancient World
Now, you can zoom around this huge, detailed map of the ancient world labeled with cities from all sorts of archaeological records, classical text references and European imagery
October 04, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Tree Gangsters Are Killing the Rainforest
Organized criminal syndicates are responsible for most illegal logging, which accounts for up to 30 percent of timber traded globally
October 03, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
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
Are These Two Toes the World’s First Prostheses?
This is probably the world's first prosthetic—a wooden toe that dates back to before 600 BC
October 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Dilophosaurus – An Early Jurassic Icon
Tracks made by a 20-foot predatory dinosaur have been found in rock from Connecticut to Arizona, but who made the tracks?
October 02, 2012 |
By Brian Switek


