All Stories

The Anopheles mosquito, the main carrier of malaria.

mosquitoes

How Algeria and Argentina Became Officially Malaria-Free

Public health officials hope the success can be replicated.

Each bumphead parrotfish has a huge appetite, and produces several tons of poop (and sand) a year.

coral reefs

Why Scientists Snorkled Behind Bumphead Parrotfish in Pursuit of Their Poop

To learn whether these giant, goofy fish are good or bad for beleaguered coral reefs.

Time has marbled the bottles to a shell-like sheen, and Christie's has sealed the tops with fresh red wax.

auctions

For Sale: 300-Year-Old 'Shipwreck Wine' Rescued From the Bottom of the Sea

It may still be safe to drink.

A dreary sky hangs over Westminster.

satellite

London Creates Its Own Clouds

Scientists discovered that large cities produce enough heat to change the atmosphere.

The water was found inside a sediment core from the Maldives archipelago.

salt

Found: 20,000-Year-Old Seawater From the Ice Age

It was stored inside limestone beneath the seafloor.

Humboldt's Tableau Physique was a landmark for biogeography.

volcanoes

An Explorer's Famed Infographic May Have a Big, Fatal Flaw

Alexander von Humboldt might have been using the wrong mountain.

A worker picks roses as butterflies dance over the fields.

how the sausage gets made

Every Spring, an Idyllic Iranian Town Turns Fields of Roses Into Rose Water

By distilling their harvest of pink roses, locals make a fragrant ingredient.

Some of the trees along Black River are more than 2,000 years old.

rivers

Some Bald Cypress Trees in This North Carolina Swamp Are Older Than Cleopatra

New research suggests that Black River's gnarled conifers are even more ancient than we thought.

An aerial view of Oxford during riots sparked by the enrollment of an African-American student, James H. Meredith, at the University of Mississippi in 1962.

protest

The Artists and Writers Who Fought Racism With Satire in Jim Crow Mississippi

How William Faulkner and a small group of provocateurs challenged segregation in ways that resonate today.

The Dutch Windmill, which was purchased by Paula Doulaveris and Richard Birdsong in 2010.

education

How a Maryland Finishing School Became an International Architectural Wonderland

National Park Seminary had an unconventional approach to education.

A small portion of the collection amassed by Braithwaite, who is pictured on the cover of 1982's "Change the Beat."

hip hop

A Legendary Hip-Hop Archive Finds a Home in Harlem

And all you'll need to see it is a library card.

What is this, coffee for ants?

ants

The Secret to This Brazilian Coffee? Ants Harvest the Beans

The insects' trash is one farmer's treasure.

Simon's cakes evoke the baroque still-lifes of Dutch Masters such as Ambrosius Bosschaert.

beauty

This Cake Artist Makes Confectionery Look Like Classical Paintings

Julie Simon’s sugar flowers are edible horticultural wonders.

The composite skeleton sold for a little more than $621,700.

dodos

Sold: A Nearly Complete Skeleton of a Dodo

The remains of the long-extinct, flightless bird from Mauritius are waddling off to a new home.

People walk in front of the azulejo tiles on the exterior of Capela Das Almas in Porto.

preservation

Instead of Money, This Portuguese 'Bank' Safeguards 27,000 Handpainted Tiles

This collection of azulejos in Porto isn’t just for conservation and display—it’s also open for withdrawals.

Dog designs, based on the team's own pets.

travel oregon

Animating Oregon

An ad campaign from Travel Oregon takes you on a fantastic voyage through the state.

That's a referee.

burning questions

Why Does English Have More Words for Sports Officials Than Any Other Language?

Arbitrating when to say ref, ump, or judge.

The water is full of wonders.

service

How to Decode the Shells You Find Washed Up on the Beach

A beginner's guide to identifying conchs, chitons, and more.