Articles

Leeuwenhoek's early microscopic observations of rabbit sperm (figs. 1-4) and dog sperm (figs. 5-8).

The Long, Winding Tale of Sperm Science

...and why it's finally headed in the right direction

A Stunning & Dramatic Irish Island Once Inhabited by Monks

Over seven miles off the Irish coast, lie the sea crags of Skellig Michael, a breathtaking island once home to a community of reclusive monks

A female Limosa harlequin frog sports a miniature radio transmitter.

A Pioneering Force of Harlequin Frogs Set Out to Help Save Their Species

Outfitted with tiny transmitters, these frogs are released to face the challenging chytrid fungus that decimated their populations

Israeli supplies are air dropped to troops in the Sinai, June 1967, during the Six-Day War.

What the Six-Day War Tells Us About the Cold War

In 1967, Israel launched a preemptive attack on Egypt. The fight was spurred in part by Soviet meddling

Until recently, neuroscientists have considered the method the brain uses to quickly and easily analyzes faces to be a "black box."

New Research

How Your Brain Recognizes All Those Faces

Neurons home in on one section at a time, researchers report

This workout shirt has vents that start closed (left) but open when the wearer begins to sweat (right).

The Innovative Spirit fy17

This Biofabric From MIT Uses Bacteria to Automatically Ventilate Workout Clothes

Would you wear microbes on your back?

The tentacles of the Portuguese man o' war, (which is technically a siphonophore, a group related to jellyfish), contain harpoon-like cells called nematocysts that deliver painful doses of venom.

Forget What You've Heard About the Pee Cure, Here's How to Really Fix a Jellyfish Sting

Scientists studied what to do and what not to do when stung by a jellyfish. The result? Folk remedies are bad.

Zelt 46—dithyrambisch (Tent 46—Dithyrambic) by Markus Lüpertz, 1965

It Takes Two Museums to Cover the Work of this Prolific German Neo-Expressionist

Europe’s celebrated Markus Lüpertz has a huge appetite for creativity. He's also a poet, writer, set designer and jazz pianist

This Terrifying Spider Hunts Fish Underwater

If the prospect of a spider that catches fish wasn't scary enough, the fishing spider is disturbingly well-adapted to its task

Mounted Normans attack the Anglo-Saxon infantry during the Battle of Hastings, as portrayed on the Bayeux Tapestry.

England’s Most Brutal King Was Its Best Peacemaker

William the Conqueror was ruthless, but he achieved something his predecessors couldn’t: peace

Firemen March 6 1985 by Donald Sultan, 1985

This Artist's Worldview Drips With Unending Pessimism

"Man is inherently self-destructive, and whatever is built will be destroyed," says painter Donald Sultan of his "Disaster Paintings"

A View in Louisburg in North America

Canada

When Nova Scotia Almost Joined the American Revolution

New England expats felt a strong allegiance to the struggles felt by their American friends to the south

GIFs began as still images in the early days of the Internet before becoming the animated loops that are seen everywhere now.

History of Now

A Brief History of the GIF, From Early Internet Innovation to Ubiquitous Relic

How an image format changed the way we communicate

The View From the Big Top

Aerialist and this year's Folklife Festival performer Dolly Jacobs didn't have to run away to join the circus; she lived it

Artist’s conception of two merging black holes, spinning in a nonaligned fashion.

New Research

Scientists Hear Two Even More Ancient Black Holes Collide

At this point, detecting ripples in the fabric of space-time is practically commonplace

“These males were still alive and living around the females, they just apparently weren’t getting any of the matings, or the matings weren’t working,” says Robert C. Fleischer.

Future of Conservation

Safer Digs for Tortoises Put a Damper on Their Love Lives

A new genetic study surprised scientists who learned the males were not breeding

Meet the Ozark hellbender, an elusive creature that has become only more so as of late.

Future of Conservation

What the Heck Is a Hellbender—And How Can We Make More of Them?

Why the Saint Louis Zoo decided to invest in this slimy, surprisingly adorable amphibian

The Reason This South American Tribe Shrunk Their Enemies' Heads

The Shuar of South America is the only tribe to have never been conquered by the Spanish Empire

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Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed Buildings (and One Doghouse) Open for Rare Tours in Honor of the Architect's 150th Birthday

These new or normally unavailable tours and displays pay homage to an architecture legacy

The sarcophagus of Tadja, one of the mummies from Abusir el Meleq that had its DNA analyzed in a new study.

New Research

Ancient Mummies Finally Give Up Their Genetic Secrets

Armed with new DNA techniques, scientists have extracted genetic sequences from preserved Egyptians

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