cryptids
The Loch Ness Monster Is the Latest Cryptid to Have Its Own Coin
Scotland's most lovable lake creature has been commemorated on a new ten-pence piece.
All Stories
wax anatomy
How a Dead Philosopher Makes a Transatlantic Trip
Jeremy Bentham died 186 years ago. Now conservators are transporting his "auto-icon" from London to New York for the first time.
lgbtq
A Modern Controversy Over Ancient Homosexuality
In 1980, a gay historian’s book about Catholic Church-approved homosexuality enraged both gays and Catholics.
penguins
Found: A Secret Penguin Supercolony in Antarctica’s Danger Islands
Good news for the future of Adélie penguins.
food theft
Bellagio Resort Employee Swipes Lobster Tails Valued at Nearly $2,000
He stuffed them in his backpack.
civil war
How Photographs Printed on Paper Changed 19th-Century America
Shareable images have always had an impact.
fame
Alex the Honking Bird May Be the First Interspecies YouTube Celebrity
The distinctively voiced cockatiel has earned both human and avian fans.
genetics
How Many Species of Ravens Are There?
It's surprisingly hard to tell.
hiking
The National Park Service Kindly Requests You Stop Leaving Your Poop on Denali
When in doubt, carry it out.
jewelry
The Cultural Costs of California’s Shrinking Abalone Supply
Climate change and overfishing have pushed the prized mollusk to perilously low numbers in the state.
oddities
The Struggle of Keeping a Roadside Attraction Alive
After the death of its founder, the future of Wild Bill's Nostalgia is cloudy.
pop culture
An Investigation Into the History of the 'Ditz' Voice
How pitch, tonality, and celebrity imitation have portrayed cluelessness.
picasso
Found: Details of Picasso's Plan for His Most Massive Work of Art
"Bust of a Woman" would have soared 100 feet over Tampa.
flora
The Green Slime That Flourishes in Light-Filled Caves
Where there is light, organisms will follow.
linguistics
How Orange (the Fruit) Inspired Orange (the Color)
Until the Renaissance, the English language had no word for yellow-red.
microscopes
A New Species of Tardigrade Has Been Found in a Japanese Parking Lot
Greetings, Macrobiotus shonaicus!
climate change
A 10-Foot Long, 11,000-Year-Old Sponge Skeleton Has a Hidden Use
The "sponge record" can tell scientists about the climate of the past.
hidden
Secret Underground Water Stores May Help Trees Survive Droughts
According to a new study of "rock moisture," bedrock is a lot wetter than expected.
