Hail

The Science of Hail

How does this mysterious precipitation form?
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_Aldini,_Essai...sur_le_galvanisme..._Wellcome_L0023892.jpg

Will Reanimating Dead Brains Inspire the Next Frankenstein?

In recent experiments, scientists brought back cellular functions to the brains of dead pigs, recalling early galvanism.
A lode stone encased in a gilded stand

The Souls of Magnets

Lodestones are dull, lumpy, and slate-gray, but their “magnetic intelligence” made them fabulously expensive.
An illustration by Stephen Gammell from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

The Folklorist behind Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

What was that book's deal, anyway?
A tree in a native forest planted by Afforestt

The Miyawaki Method: A Better Way to Build Forests?

India’s forest production company is following the tenets of the master Japanese botanist, restoring biodiversity in resource-depleted communities.
Mount Saint Helens, United States

Could a Trillion Trees Really Save the Planet?

Scientists think that planting trees could reverse climate change, but planting trees isn't as simple as it sounds.
A pod of dolphins

How Eco-Conscious is Your Eco-Tour?

Wildlife sighting business is booming. Here’s how to choose the tour operators that care about the animals.
Paris catacombs

How the Paris Catacombs Solved a Cemetery Crisis

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Paris—the Catacombs—was started as a solution to the intrusion of death upon daily life.
Astronaut Karen Nyberg looks at Earth through a cupola on the ISS.

Space, Seaweed, and Self-Awareness

Well-researched stories from Quanta, the New Yorker, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Eleanor Club, Chicago

Co-Living, the Hot New Trend of 1898

Chicago's "Eleanor Clubs" were designed to give young, working women affordable and congenial places to live.