wunderkammers
Why Can't People Stop Touching Museum Exhibits?
After years of watching, one researcher thinks she's got the answer.
All Stories
week in
The Week In... Reptiles!
All the reptile stories you may have missed over the past seven days.
mesopotamia
Found: A Cuneiform Marriage Contract That Addresses Infertility and Surrogacy
They had two years to procreate, or a hierodule would be hired.
supernova
A Short History of the Supernova, From Ancient China to the New 'Zombie Star'
Going out with a bang.
pie
How Pie Town, New Mexico, Lives Up to Its Name
Pie Town is a real place, and it's more than pie that draws visitors to the tiny town.
storms
The Long Legacy of Ireland's 'Night of the Big Wind'
Before the Great Famine, the country experienced a storm that left a lasting mark.
art
A French Artist's 'Abode of Chaos' Project Is Inspired by 21st-Century Upheaval
Thierry Ehrmann uses giant skulls, burned-out cars, and piles of steel to represent global disorder.
astronauts
Exit Interview: Scott Kelly, an Astronaut Who Spent a Year in Space
It's very easy to lose things on the International Space Station.
otters
Meet the Rottweiler-Sized Prehistoric Otter With Teeth That Could Crunch Bone
Can an apex predator be cuddly?
disability
The 1977 Disability Rights Protest That Broke Records and Changed Laws
The 504 Sit-In was the longest non-violent occupation of a federal building in United States history.
parades
The Annual Journey of a Giant Miso Soup Bowl
Every September in Yamanaka-Onsen, the owan-mikoshi gets a lift around town.
discover los angeles
How a Retro-Futurist Spends 3 Days in L.A.
Author Geoff Manaugh shares his picks for Three Obscure Days in Los Angeles.
beef
The Grim Food Served on 17th-Century Sea Voyages Wasn't All Bad
Though just the sight of two-month-old salted beef may make you nauseous.
endangered animals
Among Puerto Rico's Displaced Residents, an Entire Flock of Endangered Parrots
Still, the island's animal conservationists have no intention of giving up.
judaism
Scottish Jews Have Their Own Official Tartan
It's kosher!
elections
Found: A Celebratory Roman Sundial, Two Millennia Old
A tribune of the people is still celebrating his electoral victory.
nostalgia
The Twilight of the Analog Photo Booth
The effort to save a rare beast on the road to extinction.
awards
You Can't Be Knighted in the U.S., But You Can Be Named a Sagamore of the Wabash
Or a Kentucky Colonel. Or a Nebraska Admiral. Or a Commodore of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
