robots
Where Should Robots Go When They Retire?
Behind the push to create a robot museum in Pittsburgh.
All Stories
monkeys
Brothers Arrested in Attempted Smuggling of 61 Monkeys From Tanzania
One of them owned an "exotic park."
egypt
Egypt Just Found a 3,400-Year-Old Necropolis
There are dozens of previously undiscovered tombs.
spiders
Presenting the Closest Relative to Modern Spiders Ever Found
The fossil is 305 million years old.
language
Why Writers Fight Style Guides Over Animal Pronouns
Should a moose be an "it"? Some writers and scientists think creatures deserve better.
neon
Photos of Hong Kong’s Dimming Neon Noir Landscape
A striking look at Hong Kong's disappearing neon signs.
manuscripts
The Ancient Thai Manuscripts Now Available To Read Online
Thousands of works of literature, law, and history have been brought out of their temple homes.
obscura day 2016
The Cursed History of P.T. Barnum’s Museums
The greatest showman on Earth had a less-than-great run of disasters.
obscura day 2016
The Only LGBT Cemetery Section in the World Was Inspired by J. Edgar Hoover
A section of D.C.'s Congressional Cemetery has become a gathering place for honoring LGBT activists.
video wonders
Watch a Stunning Time Lapse of a Container Ship Gliding Around the World
The video is a glimpse of the ethereal world inhabited by these ocean behemoths.
power stations
Found: Faulty Bolts at a Nuclear Plant
An inspection at Indian Point revealed 220 faulty bolts.
muckrock
The Bizarre Social Media Searches of Homeland Security
"Gladiator," "happy camp," and, uh, "china AND ebola."
astronomy
Watch An Unknown Object Hit Jupiter
It was probably a small asteroid.
stupid calculations
Stupid Calculations: What if Instagram Pictures Were on Film?
An absurdist new column that pairs the ridiculous with math.
cows
Why a Saudi Company is Buying Thousands of Acres of Parched Farmland in California
Saudis are fleeing their drought for America's drought to feed 170,000 cows.
colleges
Look At These Snarky Yearbooks From 100 Years Ago
The in-jokes from the class of 1916 don't all hold up.
coral reefs
The Worst Bleaching in the History of the Great Barrier Reef
Scientists are sounding the alarm.
us civil war
The Civil War Fighters Who Tempted Fate With North African Fashion
Why hundreds of Union and Confederate soldiers dressed for war in turbans, fezzes, and bright red pants.
