africa
To Revive This Royal Music, Ugandans Had to Grow New Instruments
Bigwala was once illegal, and only two master practitioners remained.
All Stories
color
Images of Old Russia, From a Color Photography Pioneer
A revolution in the use of filters, way before Instagram.
agriculture
How Did Cahokian Farmers Feed North America’s Largest Indigenous City?
Native American farming was more sophisticated than your history textbook told you.
prehistoric
Found: The Largest River Delta the Earth Has Ever Seen
Everything is bigger in Pangaea.
plastic
Solved: The 35-Year-Old Mystery of the Garfield Phones on a French Beach
A storm, a secret cave, and an ocean full of plastic.
alligator
Scientists Dropped Dead Gators to the Seafloor to See What Bites
It takes a lot to go from the bayou to the deep sea.
carnivorous plants
Venus Flytraps Are a 'Horrid Prison,' But Only for Certain Insects
Medium-size bugs beware.
dolls
Chinese Women Once Had to Point Out Their Medical Troubles on Ivory Dolls
For centuries, miniature ivory women helped real women seek medical help.
scotland
The Female Archaeologists of the Scottish Orkneys Were Hiding in Plain Sight
The women in this century-old photo weren't visitors—they were probably scientists.
real estate
Found: A Lost Charter Issued by King John More Than 800 Years Ago
Is there nothing that libraries can't do?
burning questions
How Alarming Is It That Islands Are Just Disappearing?
Very, but the story of sea level rise is a lot more complicated than that.
coral reefs
Seabird Poop Can Be Good for Coral Reefs
The eternal, ecological, excremental connection between sea, land, and sky.
empire
When Garbage Collection Stops, Your City Might Be in Trouble
A Byzantine trash heap reveals the slow decline of a desert culture.
paintings
Why the USDA Hired Artists to Paint Thousands of Fruits
Researchers and a Twitter bot use them today.
empire
How to Dress Like an Ottoman
A 19th-century style guide displays the diversity of an empire.
wildlife
Roadkill Is Sad and Gross—And Can Be Useful for Scientists
It can help researchers track diet, reconstruct food webs, and identify threats to wildlife.
meat
Why Eating Meat Was Banned in Japan for Centuries
The reasons were both religious and practical.
show & tell
15 Easily Overlooked Plaques You'll Be Glad You Stopped to Read
The unsung heroes of travel and discovery.
