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maori

Can the Māori Connection to Antarctica Help Safeguard the Continent’s Future?

Indigenous ties to the bottom of the world go back more than a millennium, and could point the way forward.
June 18, 2021
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abstract wonder

In Iceland, Glacial Meltwater Creates a Stunning (and Small) Landscape

A photographer captured water's ability to carve out new paths in all their fractal glory.
June 15, 2021
Gastro Obscura
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domestication

The Deep Roots of the Vegetable That ‘Took Over the World’

A study digs up the origin of the single species that gives us turnips, bok choy, broccoli rabe, and more.
June 11, 2021
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abstract wonder

In Turkey's Taurus Mountains, Farms Look Like Modern Art

Despite challenging terrain, these narrow plots produce tons of grain, nuts, fruits, and flowers each year.
June 7, 2021
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summer

What the Heck Is a Pneumonia Front?

The explanation behind a "drastic," bone-chilling, mysterious weather event in the Upper Midwest.
June 2, 2021
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microscopes

This Rugged Coastline Is Not What It Seems

An avid microscopist captured an unusual image that has nothing to do with surf and sand.
May 26, 2021
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ice caves

The Ice Age Persists in the Upper Midwest, Where the Hills Breathe

In the Driftless, a rare combination of geological quirks has preserved ancient ecosystems. But climate change is coming.
May 20, 2021
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mine

There's Gold In These Here Strange Squiggles

Mining operations at one of Russia's largest gold deposits includes a method that leaves twisty tracks on the landscape.
May 17, 2021
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diets

Why Did Antarctic Explorer Ernest Shackleton Keep 'Conking Out'?

A vitamin deficiency may have changed the course of a continent's history.
May 13, 2021
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geographic oddities

Is the Red Sea Really the Red Ocean?

It's complicated.
May 6, 2021
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abstract wonder

In the Andes, Bright Colors Tell the Dark Story of a Dying Lake

Bolivia's Lake Uru Uru faces an uncertain future: a growing city, toxic runoff, and drought worsened by climate change.
May 3, 2021
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rodents

Giant Cloud Rats Hint at a Prehistoric Biodiversity Paradise

Oversized, fluffy rodents in the Philippines may have been hunted by our evolutionary cousins. 
April 27, 2021
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poaching

Will These Glass Eels Beat the Odds and Survive to Spawn?

Critically endangered, and a much-sought delicacy, the animals are imperiled at every turn.
April 27, 2021
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abstract wonder

A Desert Oasis Hints at a Long History of Resilience and Exploration

On the Arabian Peninsula, Jubbah holds clues to how humans adapted in the past.
April 20, 2021
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genetics

The Mystery of the Mummified Bishop and the Fetus in His Coffin

Remains hidden with this Swedish “founding father” likely belonged to his grandson, but questions linger.
April 16, 2021
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evolution

The Carnivore Paradise That Keeps Changing the Story of Human Evolution

New research at Dmanisi continues to challenge what we think we know about our deep past.
April 9, 2021
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rainforest

Why Researchers Dressed as Leopards to Scare Some Monkeys

A field experiment in Republic of the Congo revealed new insights into how the primates sound the alarm.
April 1, 2021
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q&a

Meet the Woman Who Trekked a 1,200-Mile Ice Age Trail in the Dead of Winter

Emily Ford is the first woman and first person of color to complete the grueling hike.
March 29, 2021
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stave churches

To Save Norway's Stave Churches, Conservators Had to Relearn a Lost Art

The iconic wooden buildings require ancient weatherproofing technology.
March 24, 2021
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cold war

How a Secret Cold War Project Led to Signs of Ancient Life—and a New Warning About the Future

Researchers found fossils in a forgotten ice core that rewrite Greenland’s icy past.
March 15, 2021
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sinkhole

Solved: The Mystery of a Lonely Human Skull in an Italian Cave

Scientists found answers in a single piece of evidence.
March 5, 2021
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pet cemeteries

Is This Egyptian Site the World’s Oldest Pet Cemetery?

Perhaps, but humans all over the world, from Siberia to Illinois, have a long history of burying animals with respect.
March 4, 2021
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moth

Why an English Manor Is Deploying Parasitic Wasps and Moth Pheromones

Conservators are trying to protect historic treasures—but it's all more subdued than it sounds.
February 25, 2021