US Government

Andrew Brennen talks with a student, while on his tour of America with an organization called Student Voice.

Andrew Brennen Believes Education Reform Begins With a Simple Question

The UNC-Chapel Hill sophomore has been traveling the country asking students, "What would you change about your school?"

Christa McAuliffe received a preview of microgravity during a special flight aboard NASA's KC-135 "zero gravity" aircraft. She was to be the first in a series of civilians in space

The Challenger Disaster Put an End to NASA’s Plan to Send Civilians Into Space

On the 30th anniversary of the space shuttle tragedy, a look back at an ambitious plan to put the rest of us into orbit

Part of the Capitol Christmas Tree's splendor comes from marine debris collected along the Alaska coast.

The Capitol’s Christmas Tree Is (Partially) Made of Trash

Marine debris bedecks a 74-foot tree from Alaska

When Did the Vice Presidency Stop Going to the 2nd Place Winner and More Questions From Our Readers

Also up for discussion—why are oceans seawater and not freshwater?

How the U.S. Census Defines Race

The history of America's racial identity, as told by 225 years of population data

A bowl done in a style first seen around A.D. 1100 has “acid blooms” on its interior—imperfections suggesting that someone used modern soaps to clean the bowl up, possibly to fetch a higher price on the black market.

An Exclusive Look at the Greatest Haul of Native American Artifacts, Ever

In a warehouse in Utah, federal agents are storing tens of thousands of looted objects recovered in a massive sting

The black-footed ferret's tale of near-extinction is just one of many stories of endangered animals.

How We Decide Which Animals Become Endangered

It wasn't too long ago that the idea of "endangered animals" didn't even exist.

About 12,200 People Are Erroneously Declared Dead Every Year by the U.S. Government

Being officially dead because of a typo makes living life difficult

Peanut butter, known to the National Institute of Standards and Technology as SRM 2387.

The Weird World of Standard Reference Materials, From Peanut Butter to Whale Blubber

Get the full story behind a $761 jar of peanut butter and other exorbitantly priced everyday objects used by scientists

Amphitheater and mountainous landscape in Red Rock Park, Colorado.

When America Invested in Infrastructure, These Beautiful Landmarks Were the Result

Explore eight of the Works Progress Administration’s most impressive structures.

The White House Just Asked Scientists to Stop Trying to Make Diseases More Deadly

New funding is being suspended, and anyone who's already been paid to do such work is being asked to stop.

What Should the Price of Visiting Wilderness Be?

If passed, HR 5204 could introduce widespread fees for entering formerly free public lands

The NSA Seems to Have a Leaker Problem

Signs point to there being more than one NSA leaker

Bryce Canyon National Park

National Parks More Than Pay for Themselves

It turns out there are some very practical reasons to keep the parks going

The NSA Has Its Own Advice Columnist, Snowden Leaks Reveal

Among concerns the anonymous advice-giver addressed were employee privacy issues

International Space Station to Get a Four Year Life Extension

Then, in 2024, it has to crash into the ocean

“There was one file on our man in the FBI,” the ex-KGB man says. “He was retired and living in Queens.” That man, he says, was the mole.

When the FBI Spent Decades Hunting for a Soviet Spy on Its Staff

A tip provided by a double-agent for the KGB set off one of the most self-destructive mole hunts in FBI history

Constitution of the United States

Should the Constitution Be Scrapped?

In a new book, Louis Michael Seidman claims that arguing about the constitutionality of laws and reforms is the cause of our harsh political discourse

A new study indicates that having a winning sports team may make us more likely to reelect an incumbent politician.

Is Your Vote Affected By Your Home Team’s Wins and Losses?

A new study indicates that having a winning sports team may make us more likely to reelect an incumbent politician

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Document Deep Dive: How the Homestead Act Transformed America

Compare documents filed by the first and last homesteaders in the United States

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