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.
Cyberpunk Dreams in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s The Line promised a futuristic desert city, but the ambitious project now faces delays and an uncertain future.
Sassafras: From Scent to Science in American Medicine
How did sassafras go from cure-all to carcinogen? Its history links Indigenous knowledge, colonial trade, and modern scientific debate.
How America Racialized the Robot
Early robots in the US evolved from symbols of revolt into racialized figures tied to labor and the legacy of slavery.