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This relief on a fourth-century sarcophagus from Gaul depicts scenes from the Bible, including the famous miracle of Christ multiplying the loaves (center).

A Cult Grew Around the First Emperor of Rome in 27 B.C. A New Book Argues His Followers Might Have Created the Template for Christianity

Augustus was seen as a descendant of the gods who would go on to redefine authority. New research posits that his rule paved the way for Jesus

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Readers Respond to the September/October 2026 Issue

Your feedback on sea shells, the battle against long Covid, the museums of Mexico City and the story of how an Arkansas town embracing its mob history

Breeze’s earlier conceptual drawing for the Breezer 1 prototype.

Before Mountain Biking Became One of the Most Popular Recreational Sports, Adventurous Souls of the American West Had to Invent a Rugged Bike

The origin story has two settings: In Colorado, a gang of riders had the tenacity to conquer a treacherous terrain, and in California, others had the technology to design the ideal ride

Caspar David Friedrich’s The Evening Star is noteworthy for its Romantic sweep—and for the elusiveness of the stellar body (Venus) in its title. 

How Astronomers and Art Historians Are Working Together to Identify the Inspiration Behind Famous Works of Art

Researchers study paintings and literature to uncover untold history of the works, sometimes finding themselves trying to discern celestial bodies from dust

The head of a male turkey is distinguished by the colorful dewlap and caruncles on its neck.

Ben Franklin Wasn’t Serious When He Implied the Wild Turkey Would Be a ‘Respectable’ National Symbol … but He Wasn’t Wrong, Either

The birds strutted around North America for hundreds of thousands of years before hunters decimated their population. Credit its recovery to resourcefulness, a stubborn disposition and a little help

At his farm near Parma, Italy, Claudio Grossi offers a visual history of his miracle grain in photos, crackers and loaves.

An Italian Farmer Found Some Unknown Seeds in His Attic and, With Nothing to Lose, Planted Them. The Result Was Almost Biblical

When a seven-eared stem emerged from the ground, it seemed like a miracle. What Claudio Grossi had unearthed was an ancient grain that proved to be an answer to some modern problems

How do deep-sea creatures avoid getting crushed by the water pressure? 

How Do Sea Creatures Survive the Intense Pressure of Living Deep in the Water? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Bison gather for a recent feeding in the forest.

Bison Used to Roam Eastern Europe Before They Neared Extinction. Now Researchers in Poland Want to Create a Suitable Home Where They Can Thrive

Once nearly extinct, wisent adapted to life in the Bialowieza Forest. Human intervention kept them from disappearing, and now humans are trying to return them to their true habitat

In March 1969, Private First Class Frank Kowalczyk recorded this audio letter for his family back in Illinois. Kowalczyk’s tour in Vietnam lasted 11 months and 20 days.

A Soldier in Vietnam Recorded His Letter Home Because He Thought It Was Easier Than Writing. It’s a 43-Minute Splice of History

There’s more to Private First Class Frank A. Kowalczyk’s 1969 message than routine updates on his deployment. He poignantly preserved not just his feelings and personality, but a palpable soundtrack of war

Caana, a 141-foot-high “sky palace,” was abandoned around the year 900. Over the next thousand years, it was buried beneath jungle overgrowth in remote Caracol. The palace remains the tallest human-made structure in Belize.

Archaeologists at This Ancient Maya Metropolis in the Forest of Belize Are Debunking Long-Held Myths About the Mesoamerican Civilization

Diane and Arlen Chase have spent a good portion of their lives uncovering the once-great city of Caracol. Their groundbreaking research is rewriting everything we thought we knew about the Maya

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Did Thomas Jefferson Father Sally Hemings’ Children? After More Than a Decade of Research, the Answer Is Finally Firmly in Hand

A lock of hair, advances in genetic science and a community of descendants all contributed to solving an American mystery

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Readers Respond to the Summer 2026 Issue

Your feedback on our special America at 250 issue, including stories about Margaret Fuller, Sequoyah and Woodrow Wilson

The white-headed duck is “one of the true eccentrics of the waterfowl world because almost everything about it seems unusual,” says waterfowl expert Nicky Petkov.

Spain’s White-Headed Ducks Have a Signature Color Right in the Name. And That Isn’t Even Their Most Remarkable Hue

The first thing you’re likely to notice is the blue bill. But beyond appearances, the duck has an exciting story to tell about conservation and recovery

Dice from the now-closed Southern Club, established in 1893.

Before Vegas Became Vegas, Hot Springs Was America’s Sin City. Now the Arkansas Spa Town Embraces Its Colorful and Seedy History

A life-size statue of Al Capone greets downtown visitors, and you can stay in his hotel suite. The town where gangsters once vacationed with movie stars and athletes is still open for a getaway

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We’ve Been Strapping Cargo to Our Backs for Millions of Years, but Backpack Innovation Really Took Off Around the Civil War

Discover the origin story for an accessory being comfortably lugged by nearly every hiker and student, with about 450 million sold each year

Toby Rawlinson in his Hudson roadster after the First Battle of Ypres, November 1914.

Some of the Earliest Automobile Enthusiasts Signed Up to Help the Allies in WWI. They Also Ushered in the Mechanization of War

When the gentlemen drivers of Britain’s Royal Automobile Club Volunteer Force shipped their roadsters and racers to face the Germans, they became chauffeurs, couriers and inadvertent combatants

A sample of cerebrospinal fluid is processed at the University of California, San Francisco, long Covid research lab.

For Many Americans, Covid Is Still a Chronic, Disabling Disease. These Scientists Are Working Tirelessly to Bring Them Relief

Long Covid saps the strength and vitality of patients, who have little recourse to fight it. A team of specialists—including an afflicted researcher working mostly from her bed—is looking for answers

This famous 1980 bronze statue by A. Thomas Schomberg was recently on exhibit inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

‘Rocky’ Is the Story of an Underdog, Created by an Underdog, That Has Spawned Box-Office Champions for Half a Century

Sylvester Stallone was a struggling actor when he was inspired by a real boxing match to write the film that became a legend. This year, the origin story of the franchise turns 50.

A giant Atlantic cockle lies open on the beach in Fort Myers, Florida, while a beachcomber searches for shells in the background.

These Enchanting and Colorful Photos of Seashells and the Mollusks That Create Them Will Have You Marveling at the Natural World

Before they become sandy souvenirs, the baubles in the bubbles of the shoreline serve as a veritable fortress for creatures like clams, mussels and conchs

In Spain’s Cave of El Castillo, red ochre paintings depict rooflike shapes from the Upper Paleolithic.

The Prehistoric Paintings on the Walls of Caves Have Always Been Moving. But With the Right Kind of Light, Some Actually Seem to Move

As archaeologists study the work of ancient artists, they notice that the images aren’t simply static; some are painted into the contours of the rock, and others are set in motion in torchlight

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