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countdown to the eclipse 2024

The Earliest Film of an Eclipse, Recently Rediscovered, Is Pure Magic

Nevil Maskelyne, Jr., made history in 1900 with footage that still astonishes experts.
March 11, 2024
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extinction

In Kaua‘i, Botanists Rediscover an Extinct Plant Once Mistaken for Another Extinct Plant

Just another day in Hawaiian conservation.
February 28, 2020
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secret lives of museums

The Black Taxidermist Who Made History at Chicago's Field Museum

A new exhibit celebrates the life and work of Carl Cotton.
February 27, 2020
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african-american

Meet the Iowa Architect Documenting Every Slave House Still Standing

Jobie Hill has visited 700 former residences. Many have been abandoned. Some have become storage space. Others are B&Bs.
February 26, 2020
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drag

The History of Race, Performance, and Drag Intersect in a Rare Photo of Thomas Dilward

Dilward performed with all-white minstrel troupes that otherwise excluded black people.
February 21, 2020
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babies

Early Chinese Trick Photography Sent Chubby Babies Into Space

Inside a historian’s collection of endearing, goofy early 20th-century portraits.
February 20, 2020
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endangered animals

How One Man and His Dog Rowed More Than 700 Kākāpōs to Safety

In the late 19th century, Richard Henry laid a blueprint for modern conservation in New Zealand.
February 19, 2020
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lizards

A Fossilized Skull May Solve the Mystery of a Chameleon Migration

A raft very likely carried chameleons between Madagascar and mainland Africa—but in which direction?
February 18, 2020
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paleontology

This 6-Foot Brachiosaurus Fossil Hitched a Ride With Two Clydesdale Horses

Their names are Molly and Darla.
February 17, 2020
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satellite

The Carolinas' Mysterious Great White Shark Cluster Is Not Mysterious, Not a Cluster

They're just doing what sharks do.
February 14, 2020
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pigeons

Peregrine Falcons Came Home to Roost in a Boeing 737 Plant

After pausing production of the 737 MAX, Boeing will get help evicting its resident birds of prey.
February 13, 2020
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reefs

The Coral Ark That Hopes to Save Florida’s Ailing Reefs

As a mysterious disease sweeps across the region, dry land might be the last best hope for survival.
February 12, 2020
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labor

In Sydney, Intricate New Models Depict Australia’s Brutal Colonial Era

A redesigned museum hopes to grapple with the thorny legacy of the “convict period.”
February 7, 2020
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pope

How Golden, Mummified Bees Hid in a Panama City Cathedral Altar

Restorers discovered the centuries-old bees' nests while preparing for a visit from the Pope.
February 5, 2020
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amish

For Sale: 28 Acres of Historical Amish Stuff

Amish Acres featured a gigantic barn, buggy rides, and the longest-running Amish musical.
February 3, 2020
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auroras

How Finnish Skywatchers Discovered a Strange New Aurora

The mysterious phenomenon resembles green sand dunes in the sky.
January 31, 2020
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orchids

The Aftermath of a Fire at the Museum of Chinese in America's Archives

Staff are hopeful after the first recovery effort found 150 boxes in a salvageable state.
January 31, 2020
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disappearing world

Visiting One of the Last Fragments of Miami's Eccentric Native Forest

Pine rockland grows on the most stable land in Florida, which is why it’s doomed.
January 29, 2020
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alligator

The Curious Case of the Deep-Sea Bone Worms and the Vanishing Underwater Gator

Scientists dropped three alligators to the bottom of the ocean. One of them was never seen again.
January 29, 2020
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extinction

Australia’s Platypuses Are Invisible Victims of the Bushfires

After years of drought and habitat loss, “It’s one more nail in their coffin.”
January 24, 2020
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how to

How to Identify Wildflowers Without Bothering to Get Off the Highway

According to a scientist's satirical guide, flowers are even more beautiful when you can only kind of see them.
January 23, 2020
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smells

Scientists Are Simulating Mass Animal Die-Offs in an Oklahoma Prairie

Understanding the ecological impact of hundreds of dead feral hogs.
January 22, 2020
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entomology

Can a War of the Wasps Save Hawai‘i’s Wiliwili Trees?

It's a classic good wasp/bad wasp situation.
January 15, 2020
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gentrification

New Mexico Will Tear Down a Historic Chicano Mural to Build an Art Museum

The artist, Gilberto Guzman, once wanted to restore the painting. But state officials say it’s too unstable.
January 13, 2020