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A map of human impacts around the globe where green areas show areas with the least amount of human influence and red and purple show the areas with the greatest.

Trending Today

Explore the Complexities of Climate Change with These Interactive Maps

Understanding the ins and outs requires some strong visualizations

Cool Finds

What Was the First Thing Sold on the Internet?

The answer depends on how the question is approached

Centurions drink from a fountain near Rome's Coliseum during a heat wave in summer 2014. A recent announcement that centurion reenactors will be banned from the Coliseum during 2016 has led to protests and public outcry.

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Rome Just Banned Centurions

Officials stir up controversy by kicking impersonators out of the Colosseum

"History will be kind to me," wrote Winston Churchill, "for I intend to write it myself."

Trending Today

UNESCO Honors Winston Churchill's Writings With the Equivalent of World Heritage Status

Churchill's papers join the ranks of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Anne Frank's diary and the Magna Carta

Clouds of smoke pour from a smokestack

Age of Humans

Which Countries Are Most Open to Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

A new study shows large gaps between concern about climate change and the willingness to act

Trending Today

Happy Birthday to Schrödinger’s Cat

In the 80 years since Erwin Schrödinger first outlined a quantum mechanics thought experiment involving a cat, the feline’s popularity has only grown

Fire tornadoes, or fire devils, often arise during wildfires.

Cool Finds

Hypnotize Yourself With a Slow-Motion Fire Tornado

So hot, it's cool

Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan at the Geneva Summit.

Cool Finds

Reagan and Gorbachev Agreed to Pause the Cold War in Case of an Alien Invasion

The 40th President of the United States was a big science-fiction fan

Screenshot from "Aspiring Reporter Interviews Bolden about NASA's Journey to Mars"

Cool Finds

A Nine-Year-Old Aspiring Journalist's Heartwarming Connection with NASA

A popular photography blog helped one kid interview NASA administrator Charles Bolden

Cool Finds

Why a Yam Is Not a Sweet Potato

Despite grocery store labels, these tubers aren’t at all the same

Trending Today

A Brief History of Cranberries

Pucker up: Thanksgiving (and plenty of cranberry sauce) is almost here

Study co-author Adam Townsend examines his research subject.

New Research

Chocolate Fountains are Great for Physics Lessons

Delicious, delicious physics

A juvenile Saccoglossus kowalevskii, a species of acorn worm, with it’s pharyngeal region in blue.

New Research

This Gross-looking Worm Gives Clues About Humans' Ability to Breathe and Talk

Humans share about 70 percent of their genome with the lowly acorn worm, according to recent research

An illustration of Enrico Fermi and other scientists observing the first artificial nuclear reactor.

Cool Finds

The World's First Nuclear Reactor Was Built in a Squash Court

It sat right next to University of Chicago’s football field

"After signing this Constitution, shall we go to Washington’s place for a pint? I hear he brews a tasty one."

Cool Finds

Try Out George Washington’s Own Craft Beer Recipe

The recipe for "small beer" includes molasses as a sweetener and instructions on what to do if the weather is very cold

Hello?

American South

A Phone Booth Was Just Put on the National Register of Historic Places

Save your change for a telephonic trip to Prairie Grove, Arkansas

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket takes off at the start of a test to re-land the system

Trending Today

First Reusable Rocket Launched and Landed Safely Back on Earth

Blue Origin's ship cruised to the edge of space and back in a mere 11 minutes

Cool Finds

In Brazil, Subway Reading Means a Ticket to Ride

These books encourage reading by doubling as subway tickets

Cool Finds

Tennessee Locals Spot Half-Mile-Long Spider Webs

Ballooning baby spiders are making some residents of North Memphis cringe

New Research

A New Rose Is Part Plant, Part Color-Changing Machine

Innovation has never looked so pretty

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