Ottoman sultans of the 16th century were supposed to impregnate the concubines in their harem, but a marriage between the two was strictly taboo. See how Suleiman I’s love…
Swipe! A match! Get struck by Cupid’s arrow! As with most things in life, dating in the digital age offers opportunities and challenges. One such challenge is conduct. What are…
We want to be in the public eye; we all want to be heard. We’ve gone from shock-talk shows like “Jerry Springer” to dating shows like “The Bachelor.” Now we’ve added social media.…
It isn’t certain how huge limestone blocks were transported to the sites of the pyramids nor how they were raised into place. Several recent archaeological discoveries do make a…
Multiple countries plan to return humans to the Moon more than half a century since American astronauts landed there. These plans include intriguing opportunities for advances in…
Among the many things the Roaring ’20s were known for was the rise of organized, violent crime. And there were hardly any mob bosses more notorious than Al “Scarface” Capone.…
It’s been called “The Golden Age of Serial Murder.” What caused the spike in numbers, and why are serial killings now on the decline? Experts propose some answers.
When it comes to true crime, the cliché says ‘it’s always the husband.’ But, like an Agatha Christie novel, the 1988 murder of middle-aged mother Peggy Carr defied all…
The Tylenol Murders of 1982 terrified a nation and forever changed the way we consume medications and other products. But will justice ever be served for the victims and their…
For more than 150 years, medieval Christian knights sailed and marched to the Holy Land in hope of wresting control from Muslim rulers. Despite their undeniable zeal, the…
Confucius, Socrates, and Buddha lived in different parts of the world around the same time 2,500 years ago. They are revered for their philosophies, but what did they want us to…
Each of us is a citizen of one country or another. The concept has developed since ancient Athens created the first known democracy. But what does it mean to be a citizen in…
In Central Asia, more than 2,000 years ago, a nomadic people called the Scythians roamed the steppe. Shifting tribal alliances made conflict inevitable, and women were as likely…
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Historians Guy Walters and Lisa Pine present an engaging overview of the complicated history of Adolph Hitler’s rise to, and consolidation of, power. Follow events from the end of…
Six novice candidates vie for elected positions in government across the U.S. and at all levels. Watch how these newcomers find their voices as they struggle with the day-to-day…
In an era when “swift boating” of veterans aspiring to high political office is common, it is instructive to consider the extraordinary courage and dedication to public service of…
What happens when one’s monumental scientific achievement results in cataclysmic death? “Father of the bomb,” Robert Oppenheimer, was deeply troubled about the consequences of his…
What are the shape and properties of the vast region of space influenced by the Sun? Scientists don’t know, but a thousand of them are working with NASA on a plan to find out.
As long as humankind has looked up at the sky, we’ve questioned whether there are others out there like us. Mathematics enabled us to get into space, but statistics point to a…
Interested in colonizing the Moon? The reality may be sooner than you expect. Here are five scientific advances designed to help us live in an alien environment, from 3D housing…
NASA has launched a space race among U.S. companies to be the first with a presence in lower Earth orbit or the first since 1972 to land humans on the Moon. Could a ‘space…
In the Korean War, an innovative system for treating wounded soldiers in combat got its first trial under fire. Called MASH and using helicopters to transport casualties from the…
Organizers of the 1936 Berlin Summer Games envisioned bringing together a war-torn world in peaceful athletic competition. That happened, but already the winds of war were…
After atomic bombs effectively ended World War II, the next global conflict might have wiped out the planet. U.S. strategic readiness in the air was a big reason why an all-out…
The landing of Canadian troops on Juno Beach went smoothly, with virtually no resistance. But their advance on the German stronghold at Caen tested their mettle and proved their…
Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood icon and sex symbol, captivated everyone from her fans to a president. But beneath her incandescent sparkle lay hidden hurt and trauma. Gay men…
Legend has it that St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, banished snakes from the Emerald Isle 1,600 years ago – one of many reasons St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the…
Before Marconi brought his inventive genius to the problem, communication over long distances was tethered to wires strung from one point to another. His wireless telegraphy…
Joséphine ascended from obscurity as a child on Martinique to become the empress of France. Much of her historical fame derives from being Napoleon’s wife, but Joséphine was a…
Both abolitionists and slaveholders agreed on the wording of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, but it came at a price. As the compromises in that foundational document became…
The myth that exposure to LGBTQ+ themes in books threatens children and society is a pernicious belief shared by medieval and contemporary censors of queer texts. Both eras…
The World's Fair used to be the Olympics of invention. These international expos debuted some of the most advanced technologies of their times, but the annual affairs have lost…
Provenance and authentication can change an artwork’s value from hundreds of dollars to tens of millions. Needless to say, determining the work’s true artist and rightful owner…
William Shakespeare is known as one of the greatest playwrights in history. Many lines from his works have seeped into our daily lives, but we don’t know their source. Take a tour…
John Lennon faced immense government pushback in the early 1970s for his political activism. The FBI, the CIA, and the INS all teamed up to neutralize his public voice by getting…
Despite – or because of – their great celebrity, the Beatles were sometimes the target of criminal investigations. They were arrested and fined, and Paul McCartney was even…
Paganism is a popular topic during the Halloween season. Around 1.4 million people identify as Pagans in the U.S., and their history and beliefs are far more complex than many…
WWI veterans went to Washington during the Depression to lobby Congress for immediate payment of their war bonuses. After their petitioning was denied, tables turned against the…
The rise of populism in many countries presents historic challenges that must be met if authentic democracy is to survive. How can this political movement be weakened?
Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin challenged Vladimir Putin’s military operations in Ukraine in a short-lived rebellion in June 2023. After calling off the mutiny, Prigozhin…
Climate change has disrupted weather patterns, causing droughts and high temperatures that lead to severe, long-lasting wildfires. These fires release carbon, worsening the…
Since life first appeared on Earth billions of years ago, many species have disappeared into extinction, leaving only fossil traces. A few of them, though, have made a surprising…
Human activities have only recently been considered catalysts of seismic activity. If humans are not careful, our methods of extracting natural resources and our growing…
Plastic recycling is a waste of energy, resources, and, especially, vision. For every pound of plastic that is successfully recycled, between 90 and 95 pounds of pernicious…
Fire ants are common in warm, sunny regions around the world. Their stings can be terribly painful and debilitating, and their ravenous behavior often wreaks havoc on agriculture…
Many non-human animals exhibit fascinating behaviors and even striking hallmarks of intelligence. Sure, humans have accomplished a lot, but the rest of the animal kingdom can do…
Sir David Attenborough has spent his life revealing the wonders of nature to millions of television viewers. Now, he has embarked on an urgent mission to help ensure the survival…
Feathers, beaks, and small sizes are all significant adaptations some early dinosaurs developed that allowed those creatures to survive mass extinction events in Earth’s history.…
Perfume is easy to write off as frivolous or overwhelming, calling to mind thoughts of department store counters, surreal ads, or even your grandmother. In fact, both perfumery…
Health insurance is a complicated (and touchy) subject. Lots of people have strong opinions about how healthcare should be covered, but just as many of us don’t know much about…
Lunch hasn’t always been the midday break we know today. While a meal during peak daylight hours is now quite common, the cultural and social weight of lunch has come about…
Sleep is crucial to a healthy lifestyle. But many of us have little understanding of why it’s so important – and even what it is! Here, we investigate the scientific findings that…
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