When we’re dazzled by the impressive leaps of modern technology, it is easy to forget the small shifts in innovation that pulled our species forward. Ancient light bulb moments may no longer seem great compared to spaceflight and the next self-parking car, but they do serve a valuable role. New discoveries provide clues about lingering

If there is one thing you can say about plants, it’s that they look interesting. They are beautiful, colorful, and intricate—from the tiniest bit of moss to the grandest tree in the jungle. They look even more interesting when they do what plants tend to eventually do and take over the land. We humans think

There are certain islands that have been “discovered” and added to maps before being found to be nonexistent. Yet, their discoverers often claim to have sighted them, and some even said they landed on them. Expeditions sent to the supposed locations of these islands often ended up finding the open ocean and nothing else, although

Like the declarations that “Elvis Presley Is Alive,” the claims that Adolf Hitler didn’t die in Berlin have continued since the announcement of his apparent death. There are many reasons for this beyond just random sightings and suspicious claims. For example, most of us have heard and dismissed the claims of body doubles and mismatched

One of the worst parts of adulthood is noticing all the death and destruction around us. When we need some comfort, we can always turn to the precious memories of childhood to brighten our day. However, even those can be tainted by the problems of the real world. The only thing worse than realizing your

All biology teachers at some point have to warn their students not to anthropomorphize nature, in other words, not to suggest the natural world behaves like humans. Cells, viruses, and bacteria do not “want” anything. They act under the rules of stimulus and response. Even animals, including humans, mostly follow biological imperatives. But sometimes, just

The international sporting events of the Olympic Games are a testament to the unwavering dedication of leading athletes around the world. Participants spend their entire lives training and competing, honing their skills and rising to the tops of their games in order to be able to call themselves Olympians. And yet, only some will get

Go to Europe, and you’ll discover that many ancient churches contain relics, e.g. bones or other body parts of long-gone saints. Many Americans regard the veneration of relics as a quaint or even macabre Old World custom. However, they do the same thing. In the US, though, they don’t save bits and pieces of holy