botanical illustration
A Forgotten Botanist’s Stunning 19th-Century Manuscript Is Now Online
It is considered one of the most comprehensive works on Cuba’s flora during the colonial period.
All Stories
sheep
For Thousands of Years, People Have Been Obsessed With Fat-Tailed Sheep
Writers and artists found them entrancing.
construction
Inside the Fight to Save an Overlooked Piece of Country Music History
A nondescript building in Atlanta, considered a birthplace of country music, may soon be demolished—and become a Margaritaville.
climate change
Stone Monuments in Western Sahara Record How People Adapted to Shifting Climate
The encroaching desert meant lots of changes.
yosemite
For Sale: Old Photos of Huge Trees
These giants fascinated both conservationists and loggers.
plankton
Climate Change Is Altering the Color of the Oceans
New research suggests that we will see deeper shades of blue and green by 2100.
bunnies
The Love Story Behind L.A.'s Bunny Museum
Candace Frazee and Steve Lubanski’s collection has grown to over 30,000 rabbit-related items.
food fights
When the U.S. Interned Italians in Montana, They Rioted Over Olive Oil
For the "enemy aliens" held at Fort Missoula, suet was an insult.
king arthur
Found: A 13th-Century Tale of Merlin and Arthur, Reused as Bookbinding
The early text can help scholars understand how the legend evolved over time.
moon trees
Whatever Happened to All the Moon Trees?
Sprouted from seeds that traveled to space in 1971, many haven't fared so well back on Earth.
invertebrates
The Habitat Restoration Project to Save a Tiny Italian Cave Worm
Anything worth doing is worth doing right.
landscapes
The Long History of the Mind-Bending ‘Tiny Planet’ Panorama
Spherical landscapes helped an 18th-century scientist convey the enormity of the Alps.
language
Inside an Effort to Document Every Single Language on Earth
Wikitongues offers video samples of Lemerig, Texas German, Aranese, and many more.
portugal
Scientists Discovered a New Family of Fungi on an 800-Year-Old Cathedral in Portugal
This miniature foe is munching through the stone walls of Sé Velha.
cryptography
During WWII, Bletchley Park Was Home to Codebreaking and Tea Shenanigans
Staff at "Station X" threw their teacups into lakes and stuffed them into hedges.
neanderthals
This Skull Is Both Older and More Modern Than We Thought
Mongolanthropus was one of us.
reproduction
The World’s Loneliest Frog Has a Potential Mate, And Now Comes the Hard Part
To save the species, Romeo and Juliet need to make tadpoles.
totem poles
The Many, Many Layers of a Totem Pole Restoration Project
The American Museum of Natural History is conserving—and reconsidering—these monumental carvings.
