From a deep dive on a fatal space shuttle disaster to a study of a dozen iconic trees, these are our favorite titles this year
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Whether you're doing some holiday shopping or looking for your own next read, consider our thoughtfully curated lists.
The Black, female unit sorted through a massive backlog of undelivered mail, raising American soldiers' morale during World War II
These top titles of the year whisk readers away on adventures and remind us of the many wonders in this world
The decline of the American South's cotton and sugar industries paved the way for plantations in British-controlled Fiji and Australia, where victims of "blackbirding" endured horrific working conditions
Staff at the Institution pick their favorite reads of the year, including riveting memoirs, fascinating true histories and fun fiction
Geologists are working with local communities to determine how residents can adapt as the area's sea level, in effect, goes down
With new ingredients and processes, the next generation of substitutes will be not just more egg-like, but potentially more nutritious
In 1935, dozens of rhesus macaques absconded from Frank Buck's Long Island menagerie. Nearly a century later, 43 members of the same species broke out of a South Carolina research facility
Creative circuitry and rolling robots make up this year’s top toys for teaching kids to love science, technology, engineering and math
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and examine how the United States ended up where it is today
Trillions of insects move around the globe each year. Scientists are working on new ways to map those long-distance journeys
Travel to the American South, Vietnam and beyond with this year’s best cookbooks, memoirs and historic deep dives
The famous early human is still providing lessons to anthropologists about prehistoric Earth and its inhabitants
Turkey may have been part of the holiday meal, along with venison, shellfish and corn, but pies and potatoes were decidedly not on the menu
As many wild populations decline, some city dwellers flourish—and may become a source for reintroductions to rural areas
Each year, millions of straw-colored fruit bats descend on Kasanka National Park for a few months, and scientists are working to understand their mysterious journey
The monarch set fashion trends during her time, and the flower holder became a sought-after accessory in Victorian society
The insects participate in elaborate courtships, are devoted parents, occasionally eat each other and have a gregarious nature
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