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Articles

Building a War of 1812 Warship

This summer, a ship named after naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry will set sail

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Mark Twain’s Dream

A new poem by Carol Muske-Dukes

The Amazon Women: Is There Any Truth Behind the Myth?

Strong and brave, the Amazons were a force to be reckoned with in Greek mythology—but did the fierce female warriors really exist?

The aftermath of Ian Ball's attempt to kidnap Princess Anne. Ball's white Ford Escort is parked blocking the path of the princess' limousine.

The Bloody Attempt to Kidnap a British Princess

Remembering the failed plot undertaken by a lone gunman

Even the President of the United States takes time away from work to fill out his bracket.

When Did Filling Out A March Madness Bracket Become Popular?

Millions of Americans will fill out a NCAA basketball tournament bracket this year. How did it become such an incredible social phenomenon?

An illustration of the large, feathered Anzu wyliei depicts several striking anatomical features—its long tail, feathered arms, toothless beak and a tall crest on the top of its skull.

Scientists Discover a Large and Feathered Dinosaur that Once Roamed North America

The ‘Anzu wyliei’ species looks like a cross between a chicken and a lizard

Redpath lectures lasted well into the 20th-century (above, 1913), but when James Redpath started them in the late 1860s, he sought out speakers who could electrify an audience.

Before SXSW and Ted, A Manic Visionary Revolutionized the American Lecture Circuit

Meet James Redpath, the man who coached national celebrities on how to bring a crowd to its feet

An artist's rendering of Kepler-34b, an exoplanet believed to orbit two stars.

Life in the Cosmos

How Do Astronomers Actually Find Exoplanets?

A handful of ingenious methods have been used to detect the planets too far away for us to see

A veggie burger with a zucchini, feta, and pea patty.

The History of the Veggie Burger

Now mainstream, the hippie food changed vegetarian culture forever in 1982

A venture capital firm plans to launch hundreds of miniature satellites—capable of beaming websites to the world's most remote areas for free—into space by 2015.

Tech Watch

Could Mini Satellites Provide Free Internet to All?

A venture capital firm plans to make the World Wide Web available to anyone with a WiFi-enabled device

A yellow-bellied sea snake stranded on a beach in Costa Rica.

New Research

Some Sea Snakes Can Go Seven Months Without Drinking Water

To survive the dry season, yellow-bellied sea snakes severely dehydrate until the wet season brings freshwater for them to lap up from the ocean’s surface

An artist's rendering of the Big Bang.

New Research

A New Cosmic Discovery Could Be The Closest We’ve Come to the Beginning of Time

Scientists detect the signature of gravitational waves generated in the first moments of the Big Bang

A bottle of Guinness's Foreign Extra Stout.

How Guinness Became an African Favorite

The stout’s success stems from a long history of colonial export and locally driven marketing campaigns

Floating glaciers in Iceland's Jökulsárlón Lagoon naturally creak and groan as they break apart.

Art Meets Science

What Are the Acoustic Wonders of the World?

Sonic engineer Trevor Cox is on a mission to find the planet’s most interesting sounds

A couple kisses near the Eiffel Tower.

Photos: A Stroll Through the City of Lights

Readers capture the spirit of Paris in beautiful photos submitted to our annual photo contest

Altering activity in the gut has been shown to affect mood and behavior. Can it also improve learning?

New Research

Checking the Claim: Can Probiotics Make You Smarter?

A researcher says a certain strain of gut bacteria can enhance brain power—but some critics aren’t sold

As Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "Paris is a moveable feast." Here's how to explore the City of Lights on his terms.

Europe

A Guide to Hemingway’s Paris

From writing haunts to favorite bars, follow the ex-pat author’s steps through Paris

The Aurora headband is designed to help you remember your dreams.

Tech Watch

Can a Headband Really Help You Take Control of Your Dreams?

A new device claims to give cues when a person enters REM sleep

"All the raw materials are there for an incredible cuisine. It just never really had an opportunity to blossom."

This is the Perfect Meal to Cook for This St. Patrick’s Day

Chef Cathal Armstrong talks to us about his debut cookbook and offers up recipes that show Ireland’s evolving cuisine

Fallen trees in Chernobyl's infamous red forest.

New Research

Forests Around Chernobyl Aren’t Decaying Properly

It wasn’t just people, animals and trees that were affected by radiation exposure at Chernobyl, but also the decomposers: insects, microbes, and fungi

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