The Secret Lives of Insects
Can fruit flies have dialects? Can dung beetles navigate by the stars? Find surprising answers in this collection of stories about bugs and people.
The Debate Over Pictures in Science
Botanical illustrations helped bring science to new audiences—but not every scientist welcomed the change.
The Return of Florida’s Wild Flamingos
New sightings suggest a surprising ecological comeback—and a chance to reexamine the state's environmental past.
How the Himalayan Blackberry Took Over the Pacific Northwest
The tangled history of an invasive plant and a scientist’s troubling quest to engineer a more efficient natural world.
The Rise and Fall of Britain’s Muskrat Empire
A fur-farming experiment unleashed a prolific rodent—and sparked one of the rare successful eradications of an invasive species.
The Nuclear Test Site That Advanced Oceanography
A postwar expedition to Bikini Atoll helped confirm Darwin’s theory of coral reef formation and reshaped the future of marine science.
Anatomy of a Galileo Forgery
It was hailed as a historic discovery—until a trail of clues revealed one of the rare-book world's most audacious scams.
A History Wrapped in Banana Leaves
How hallacas and the banana plant became intertwined in Venezuelan cultural memory.
Arctic Airships and the Rise of the Technological Explorer
Competing expeditions to the North Pole redefined exploration in the early age of aviation.
A Trusted Name in a Dubious Drug Market
Amid the fraud and flimflam of early drug markets, Shakers stood for purity, creating a brand others were eager to exploit.