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Black soldier fly larvae grow in a high-tech facility at Innovafeed in Nesle, France. The company, which also has a facility in Decatur, Illinois, is the world’s largest producer of black soldier fly larvae.

Maggots Are an Incredibly Efficient Source of Protein, Which May Make Them the Next Superfood for Humans

Inexpensive to raise and insatiably hungry for trash, black soldier fly larvae are already on the menu for livestock, pets and, maybe soon, people

 Miles Davis’ ceaseless reinventions of his art led Duke Ellington to call him the “Picasso of jazz.”

Miles Davis Emerged From Middle America to Become the ‘Picasso of Jazz’ and Taught Us All How to Be Cool

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the birth of a jazz legend, look back on the staggering impact of his work and its continued relevance

A hand-colored map from 1860 depicts parts of Manhattan,  Brooklyn, Hoboken and Jersey City. 

The Time When New York City Seriously Considered Seceding From the United States

A culture clash driven by finances and Old World alignments had the Big Apple contemplating leaving the Union. The Civil War ended that

An examiner affixes a “driver testing” notice ahead of a road test in South Carolina, in the mid-20th century. 

The Driver’s License Used to Say Who Can Drive. Now It Says a Lot About Who We Are

What was once a simple paper card has evolved with the tech of the times as it has gone from protecting our roads to playing a role in national security

Did Benjamin Franklin really fly a kite in a thunderstorm?

America's 250th Anniversary

What’s the Real Story With Ben Franklin and the Kite? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions, we’ve got experts

Curtis Kauffman with a 1950s Vendo 39 Coke machine—which he has not yet refurbished—at the Route 11 Antique Mall in Hagerstown, Maryland.

When This Restoration Expert Gets His Hands on a Relic, the Result Can Send You Back in Time

At a Maryland antiques mall, Curtis Kauffman takes trinkets from the past and makes them better than ever. For his customers, that’s worth a lot

In the valleys and hills of Nepal’s Khumbu mountain range, high peaks tower over teahouses, where a hot cup of tea is more than just a warm gesture.

Nepal’s Mountainside Teahouses Elevate the Experience for Trekkers Heading to the Top of the World

Comforting rest stops dot the trail for adventurers ascending Mera Peak, offering food, rest and a warm cup of the local brew

Curator Richard Hill notes Carr’s unusual choice to orient her nature paintings vertically, as in Cedar (left, 1942) and Red Cedar (1931). “It really is a portrait of a tree.”

This Canadian Painter Found Her Muse in the Verdant Trees of British Columbia

Emily Carr took her brushes out of the gardens and into the rainforest to capture her local landscape in ways “beloved and also fraught”

As a 26-year-old colonel, Washington stood between confused Virginian troops to stop their fire.

America's 250th Anniversary

A Skirmish Early in George Washington’s Military Career Helped Define Him. It Could Have Killed Him

New evidence helps resolve enduring mysteries about a 1758 incident that nearly cost the future president his life—and shaped his views on the battles yet to come

A vision of ancient Carthage, attributed to the painter William Linton, c. 1830. 

The Story of Carthage Isn’t Necessarily What the Romans Committed to History

A new book by historian and archaeologist Eve MacDonald paints a more complete portrait of the once-great African society destroyed by Rome

Southern rockhoppers fearlessly approach the camera at Murrell Farm in the Falklands. The birds’ features include their spiky crests, which resemble wild eyebrows.

Rockhopper Penguins’ Athleticism Makes Them the Daredevils of the Animal World. Will a Warming Climate Slow Them Down?

A visit to the Falkland Islands, where the fearless seabirds navigate the rugged topography with tenacious spunk, shows the new challenges they face

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Readers Respond to the November 2025 Issue

Your feedback on the burning of Norfolk and Paris cemeteries, plus more reaction on the September/October story about Valley Forge

The day after the wreck, the New York Times devoted much of its front page to coverage of the tragedy and its victims. But grief quickly turned to anger as the public looked for answers.  

New York’s Grand Central Terminal Helped Provide the Blueprint for American Cities. It Happened by Accident

A train wreck that caused the death of more than a dozen commuters near the turn of the 20th century was the impetus behind a monumental project that changed the urban landscape

Bringing in the Maple Sugar from 1940 or earlier. 

A New Exhibition Places Grandma Moses Right Where She Belongs: In the Highest Echelons of American Art

Coming soon to the Smithsonian American Art Museum is a show that highlights the work of the famous late bloomer

New York City, 1984. Advertising is a recurring theme in Friedlander’s photography, and no figure appears more often in store windows than Old St. Nick. 

A Famed Street Photographer Chronicled What Christmas Looks Like Across America Over the Course of Decades

Lee Friedlander’s new book, “Christmas,” collects his work from all over the country on the topic of our sentimental and materialistic connection to the holiday

Why is the Midwest covered with prairies instead of forests? 

Why Aren’t There Forests in the Midwest? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve Got Questions. We’ve Got Experts

The Palos Verdes Kelp Forest Restoration Project near Los Angeles forms an ecosystem that is home to many creatures.

Underwater Forests Return to Life off the Coast of California, and That Might be Good News for the Entire Planet

Wondrous kelp beds harbor a complex ecosystem that’s teeming with life, cleaning the water and the atmosphere, and bringing new hope for the future

This vase, made by Salviati & Company around 1960, shows how well Murano glass accommodated itself to modernism. To create the concentric colors, the glassmakers used successive layers of molten glass—first purple, then blue, then clear. The staggered color effect emphasizes and echoes the gourd-like shape of the whole.

Just as the Italian Art of Glassblowing Was on the Verge of Shattering, a Talented Craftsman in Murano Emerged to Revive It

Antonio Salviati opened his glass factory in 1859 to help restore a local landmark to its former glory. A vase at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum tells its story

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An Industrious Grocer in the 1930s Wanted to Make It Easier for His Customers to Buy More. They Just Needed a Push

There was a time when shoppers could buy only as much as they could carry. And as ubiquitous as shopping carts are today, it initially took some convincing to use them

Chubby the macaw arrived with self-plucking injuries, which are typically caused by stress, boredom, anxiety or life changes. Chubby was 22 at the time of being photographed in 2025, and she has since been adopted.

The Nation’s Biggest Animal Sanctuary Operates Under a Mantra to ‘Save Them All.’ How Could That Be Controversial?

Best Friends Animal Society has a sprawling campus in the canyons of Utah, but its influence has grown to reach almost every shelter in the country

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