monks
The Bamboo Flutes of Japan's 'Monks of Emptiness'
The basket-masked komusō monks used music to meditate and created a distinctive art form.
All Stories
retro-tech
The Revolution Was Televised, Thanks to This 25-Pound Video Rig
In the 1970s, the Portapak gave a voice to outsiders and changed media forever.
france
Toys Are Taking Vacations and Seeing the World (Without Their Owners)
A social media trend has spawned travel agencies and even passports—just for stuffies.
motorcycles
What Happens When a Queen Bee Decides to Ride a Motorcycle
A street in Sydney, Australia, ended up hosting a cloud of worker bees three stories high.
basketball
Found: A Barnacle-Covered Basketball Lost at Sea
Spalding, did you see Wilson out there?
autumn
Why Does the Season Before Winter Have Two Names?
A look at the history of fall and autumn.
birthdays
Celebrating a 100-Inch Telescope's 100th Birthday
What do you give a scope that has everything?
chili peppers
Decoding Bhutan's Love Affair With Chili Peppers
In the small mountain country, spicy peppers dominate breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
ireland
How ‘Photo Detectives’ Have Helped Reveal Irish History
The National Library of Ireland asked the public for help, and the public provided it.
lost
The Hanging Cage That Held an Infamous Québec Murderess
It had been all but forgotten for most of the 20th century.
gender
The Early 20th-Century ID Cards That Kept Trans People Safe From Harassment
The radical days of the Weimar Republic, just before the rise of Nazism.
giraffes
Found: A Key Piece in the Puzzle of Giraffe Evolution
A new member of the family.
whiskey
The $10,000 Whisky Dram That Turned Out to Be Worthless
A refund was involved.
mummies
The Reclaiming of the Shrew
A biologist solves the mystery of two dozen missing animal mummies.
physics
Found: A Large 'Void' Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza
The tools of particle physics hint that there's still more to discover about one of the world's most famous monuments.
gallery
Where Damaged Art Goes When It's Deemed a 'Total Loss'
A second life for wrecked artworks that once languished in insurance warehouses.
planets
Found: A Giant Planet Orbiting a Tiny Star
NGTS-1b defies what we thought we knew about how planets form.
