The 1876 Map of the World’s Ecozones That Still Holds Up
The 19th-century naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace created a visualization that tied different species to specific regions of the world.
How Conservation Is Shaped by Settler Colonialism
The legal concept of "terra nullius"—meaning "no one's land"—influenced European colonialism and continues to shape the practice of conservation.
McCarthyism at the Oscars
As José Ferrer was being handed his Oscar—making him the first Latino actor to win—he was being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
The Law and Coronavirus
Can environmental law help contain viruses that spill over from animal to human populations?
Take These Teenage Dinosaurs Seriously!
Paleontologists recently solved the riddle of whether two fossil specimens were young T. rexes or a whole different species.
The Vast Influence of Ibn Sina, Pioneer of Medicine
In the 11th century CE, science was rapidly advancing in the Islamic world. The scholar Ibn Sina (Avicenna) synthesized its medical wisdom.
Four Flowering Plants That Have Been Decidedly Queered
The queer history of the pansy and other flowers.
We Consume a Spoonful of Plastic a Week
You've heard about all the microscopic plastic in our water supply. But did you know there are ways to limit how much you ingest?
What Was the Black International?
The twentieth-century struggle for African independence began in Paris salons hosted by the daughters of elite blacks, then travelled by telegram and steamship.
Quarantines, Jumping Worms, and Trashing Margaret Mead
Well-researched stories from Wired, The Atlantic, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.