Articles

The Novice’s Guide to Venturing Into the World of Craft Beer

From food pairings to the best brews for beginners, Dan Koester presents a comprehensive guide to craft beer

January 9, 2013

Proven: Pruney Fingers Give You a Better Grip

A new study shows that when our fingers get wrinkly, they’re better at gripping wet objects

January 9, 2013

Could Diet Soda Cause Clinical Depression?

A new study suggests a link, but it’s important to remember the difference between causation and correlation

January 8, 2013

President Obama’s Autopen: When is an Autograph Not an Autograph?

When the President signed the fiscal cliff deal from 4,800 miles away, he did it with the help of a device that dates back to Thomas Jefferson

January 8, 2013

The Candor and Lies of Nazi Officer Albert Speer

The minister of armaments was happy to tell his captors about the war machine he had built. But it was a different story when he was asked about the Holocaust

January 8, 2013

What’s Inside a 2,000-Year-Old, Shipwreck-Preserved Roman Pill?

Ancient Roman pills, preserved in sealed tin containers on the seafloor, may have been used as eye medicine

January 7, 2013

Blind Baby Rhino Rescued After Bumping Into Trees

The rescued baby is bringing attention to Lewa’s efforts to protect its ailing rhino populations that are being picked off by poachers

January 7, 2013

At Auction: A 1766 Copy of ‘Aristotle’s Masterpiece,’ a Best-Selling Sex Guide Banned in England Until 1961

Banned in England until 1961, a copy of this 17th-century text is going up for auction

January 7, 2013

Determined Fish Climb Waterfalls With Special Sucker Mouths

One goby species in Hawaii uses its suction-cup mouth for both feeding and scaling walls, presenting an evolutionary chicken-or-egg conundrum

January 7, 2013

From the Slums of Lima to the Peaks of the Andes

After unpacking and assembling his bicycle at the airport terminal, the author heads north on the Pan-American Highway toward the mountain town of Canta

January 7, 2013

Events January 8-10: Get Sketchy, Raise Your Voice and Play Ball

This week, draw your way through the collection, join a chorale, and hear from NBA Commissioner David Stern plus basketball superfan Wolf Blitzer

January 7, 2013

When Machines See

Giving computers vision, through pattern recognition algorithms, could one day make them better than doctors at spotting tumors and other health problems.

January 7, 2013

Babies Start Learning Language in the Womb

Rosetta Stone language tapes for babies may soon usurp Beethoven as the womb soundtrack of choice

January 4, 2013

A 2.1 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Reveals Water on Mars

Chemical analysis shows that the meteorite, discovered in Morocco, contains ten times as much water as any Martian rock previously studied

January 3, 2013

Events January 4-7: Talk Back to Historic Figures, Weave the Mayan Way and Unplug with Musicians

A professor from the 19th century will take your questions, a Mayan weaver will craft a keepsake and an Indie group will keep you in the groove

January 3, 2013

A Short Bike Ride in the Peruvian Andes

The author kicks off 2013 with a 1,100-mile cycling journey through the Andes from Lima, Peru, to Ecuador’s lofty capital of Quito

January 3, 2013

Don’t Wait til Mardi Gras for Your King Cake, Celebrate Tres Reyes This Weekend

The New Orleans classic has its roots in the roscon de reyes, a Spanish treat for the 12th day of Christmas

January 3, 2013

Bonobos Offer Banana Bribes for Friendship

Chimpanzees will sooner kill than share food, but bonobos will sacrifice some of their own goods for the pleasure of interacting with strangers

January 2, 2013

George Jetson Gets A Check-Up

Medical diagnostics in the paleofuture

January 2, 2013

Antigua’s Disputed Slave Conspiracy of 1736

Does the evidence against these 44 slaves really stack up?

January 2, 2013