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GM's head of design Harley Earl drove the "Y-job" to and from work for 11 years.

How General Motors Introduced the Idea of a ‘Concept Car’

Eighty years ago, the Buick Y-job was billed as the car of the future

Good luck getting this out of your head.

Pop History

Before the ‘Baby Shark’ Song Made the Hot 100, ‘Silly Symphonies’ Were All the Rage

The “musical novelty” series of shorts achieved critical and popular success, too

Mothers and babies gather for a "Better Baby Contest" in Minnesota in 1920.

‘Better Babies’ Contests Pushed for Much-Needed Infant Health but Also Played Into the Eugenics Movement

Contests around the country judged infants like they would livestock as a motivator for parents to take better care of their children

Enrico Fermi at the blackboard.

How Scientific Chance and a Little Luck Helped Usher in the Nuclear Age

Accidental experiments and chance encounters helped Enrico Fermi produce the first nuclear reactor

A rendering of the lobby of the Statue of Liberty Museum, featuring the statue's original torch

From Lady Liberty to Hollywood to the Middle East, These Are the Most Exciting Museums Opening in 2019

Visit new institutions devoted to mascots, spies, archaeological sites, American icons and much more this year

Elvis tribute artist Alfred Kaz, also known as 'Bollywood Elvis' poses at Central Station ahead of boarding the 'Elvis Express' on January 10, 2019 in Sydney, Australia.

Once a Year, Over 27,000 Elvis Fans Flood This Small Australian Town

The Parkes Elvis Festival draws thousands from around the globe each January to celebrate the King’s birthday

The species Orobates pabsti represents a group of animals that lived after the first animals to walk on land but before the evolution of modern lizards.

Scientists Used a Robot to Study How Prehistoric Lizards Walked

OroBOT, a robot version of an ancestor to the dinosaurs, is helping fill in some gaps in the evolution of walking

Almost all American cheeses are based on European cheeses that are familiar to both producers and consumers. Not this one.

The Quest for a Totally American Cheese

Move over, Camembert! Three creameries in the U.S. are developing a recipe for a unique cheese they are calling Cornerstone

Fatu, born in 2000, is one of the world’s last two surviving northern white rhinos. In this 2013 photograph, she’s hanging out with southern white rhinos at Kenya’s Pejeta Nature Conservancy.

San Diego’s Frozen Zoo Offers Hope for Endangered Species Around the World

The largest animal cryobank in the world is a rich source of genetic knowledge that may one day be used to bring endangered species back from the brink

The artist's concept depicts a comet-like tail of a possible disintegrating super Mercury-size planet candidate as it transits its parent star named KIC 12557548. At an orbital distance of only twice the diameter of its star, the surface temperature of the potential planet is estimated to be a sweltering 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Disintegrating Planets Could Be the Key to Discovering What Worlds Are Made Of

Exoplanets that have been ripped apart by their host stars could provide an opportunity to measure the minerals of the galaxy

Gutenberg Castle in Balzers, Liechtenstein.

Twelve Anniversaries and Events Worth Traveling For in 2019

2019 will mark Singapore’s bicentennial, the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death and a total solar eclipse in South America

People on the scene of the 2.3-million-gallon molasses explosion in Boston's North End

Without Warning, Molasses Surged Over Boston 100 Years Ago

As the city was planning its heroes’ welcome for sons returning from World War I, a frightful flood devastated a vast area of the North End

Alice Lee, one of the first women to attend London University, challenged the predominant notion that men's brains were larger and therefore intellectually superior.

The Statistician Who Debunked Sexist Myths About Skull Size and Intelligence

Though she laid bare the false claim of women’s intellectual inferiority, Alice Lee failed to apply the same logic to race

The Nexus Air Taxi could have Uber airborne within a decade.

Seven Unforgettable Inventions Unveiled at This Year’s CES

From a self-driving suitcase to a flying taxi, these concepts made a splash at the huge trade show in Las Vegas

An 1894 advertisement shows the interior of a Pullman dining-car belonging to the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railway. The view through the window depicts the Mosler Safe Company factory in Hamilton, Ohio.

The Rise and Fall of the Sleeping Car King

George Pullman’s unbending business acumen made him a mogul, but also inspired the greatest labor uprising of the 19th century

Woman arranging bric-a-brac in her Arizona home circa 1940

Pop History

How America Tidied Up Before Marie Kondo

From the Progressive Era’s social hygiene movement to Netflix self-help reality television

Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province.

Virtual Travel

Step Inside Winter’s Most Spectacular Wonderland at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Northeast China

Visitors brave -40 degree temperatures to climb glistening ice castles and frozen replicas of iconic buildings

Researchers often depend on fishing communities to learn what life is like for sharks out in the deep ocean.

To Study Rare Sharks, Scientists Are Heading to Fish Markets

Marine biologists are combing fish markets around the world to study what comes up in the nets, and sometimes the catch is full of surprises

A secluded bay on Kangaroo Island, Australia.

A New Wave of Distilleries Is Crafting Unique Spirits From Australia’s Native Plants – and Creepy Crawlers

Boutique spirit makers across the southern continent are creating favors inspired by their own backyards

Nine Innovators to Watch in 2019

These big thinkers are set to make news this year with exciting developments in transportation, energy, health, food science and more

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