Eras
Eras are periods of time defined by geologic or historic events
The Unsolved Mystery of the Tunnels at Baiae
Did ancient priests fool visitors to a sulfurous subterranean stream that they had crossed the River Styx and entered Hades?
October 01, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
How Do Our Brains Process Music?
In an excerpt from his new book, David Byrne explains why sometimes, he prefers hearing nothing
October 2012 |
By David Byrne
Fossil Finding Goes High Tech
A new high tech approach to digging in the dirt is helping paleontologists dig smarter: artificial intelligence
September 28, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Watch Drought Dry Up America’s Groundwater
A drought this year affected large parts of the United States, including a lot of agricultural land
September 27, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Carved From Meteorite, This Thousand-Year-Old Statue Was Taken From Tibet by the Nazi SS
Crafted from a meteorite fragment, Nazis may have taken this early Tibetan relic because it displayed a swastika
September 27, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Looters Are Selling Artifacts to Fund War in Syria
War zones are dangerous places, for both people and cultural heritage
September 26, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Facebook Snuck Into the World of Basic Cell Phones And Took Over
How Facebook is reaching those without smart phones
September 25, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Tsunami Debris Is Just Now Arriving at Hawaii’s Coast
A dock 30-by-50 feet long, with Japanese writing on it, was found floating off the coast of Hawaii, around the same time that a plastic blue bin (a seafood storage container in its past life) became the first confirmed piece of tsunami debris to reach Hawaii. Authorities have not confirmed whether or not the dock was [...]
September 24, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Did Dinosaurs Swim?
Carnivorous theropod dinosaurs were once thought to be hydrophobic, but rare swim tracks show that these predators at least sometimes took a dip in lakes and rivers
September 24, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
How the Record for Hottest Temperature Ever Was Refuted
Weather Underground’s resident weather historian Christopher Burt posted a fantastic description of how an international group of scholars disproved a 90-year-old thermometer reading, which registered the hottest temperature ever recorded. This might seem like an impossible task at the best of times: The temperature (136.4 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded in Libya in 1922, and all [...]
September 21, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
6,500-Year Old Beeswax May Be Oldest Known Dental Filling
From the archives of an Italian museum, researchers may have found the oldest dental filling
September 21, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
After Summer Cyclone, Arctic Sea Ice Reaches New Low
On September 16, sea ice reached record lows in the Arctic, covering an area of just 3.41 million square kilometers or 1.32 million square miles
September 21, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
Honey Was the Wonder Food That Fueled Human Evolution (And Now It’s Disappearing)
Energy-rich honey could have been the food that let humans get so brainy
September 20, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Lunch Atop a Skyscraper Photograph: The Story Behind the Famous Shot
For 80 years, the 11 ironworkers in the iconic photo have remained unknown, and now, thanks to new research, two of them have been identified
September 20, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Cartoons of Mohammed, Anti-Jihad Subway Ads and Other Provocations, Past and Future
Today, as protests continue across the Muslim world in reaction to a translated movie trailer posted on YouTube, French Magazine Charlie Hebdo announced that it was publishing cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad
September 19, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
The Deadly Side of Moonshine
The Czech Republic is issuing a ban on all alcoholic drinks with a 20% or higher alcohol content in the wake of 20 deaths
September 18, 2012 |
By Mary Beth Griggs
The Blazing Career and Mysterious Death of “The Swedish Meteor”
Can modern science determine who shot this 18th century Swedish king?
September 17, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
Flooding in Pakistan Threatens Remains of 4500-Year-Old Civilization
Strong flooding fueled by the annual monsoon threatens the ancient town of Mohenjo-Daro
September 14, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Sinking a Sauropod
Paleontologists are naming new dinosaurs every week, but some names are eventually sent to the scientific wastebasket
September 14, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Skeleton Found Under a Parking Lot May Be English King Richard III
A skeleton consistent with that of the long-dead king was unearthed recently in Leicester
September 13, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
