WWI prosthetic arm

A Brief History of Prosthetic Limbs

Prosthetics have come a long way from the wooden big toe found on a a 3000-year-old mummy, or the Etruscan bridgework made of human teeth.
Pregnant woman portrait

When C-Sections Were Performed to Save Dead Babies’ Souls

In 1804, Charles IV, King of Spain, issued a legal admonition telling officials not to bury any pregnant woman without giving her a C-section first.
Jerri Sloan

Synthetic Fabrics Inspired a Cultural Revolution

The advent of synthetic fabrics played a surprising role in bringing women into the workforce, as Mercury 13 trainee Geraldine Sloan’s story illustrates.
Orca whale

How Killer Whales Kill

Orcas may look cute, but don’t be fooled. They display some of the most sophisticated hunting techniques of any animals on Earth.
Anna Atkins cyanotype

The Artful Science of Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins reportedly created the first photographically illustrated and printed book in response to another monograph she thought was shoddily done.
Roman Sea Monster

Sea Monsters of the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is particularly known for their sea monsters, largely because of the continuity of stories about unidentified sea creatures.
Nuclear power plant

Nuclear Power Without the Meltdowns?

When it comes to nuclear power, one word in particular instills fear: meltdown. But what is a meltdown? Can one be avoided?
Tiny A-Frame House

Is “Tiny Living” Really The Answer?

One response to the "bigger is better" trend has been the rise of microhomes: hyper-fashionable domiciles around 40 square meters in size.
Too Many Tabs

Browser Tab Clutter Is The New Hoarding

How having a million browser tabs open is akin to hoarding...and a couple ways you can clean up this particular kind of digital clutter.
Common Blue Butterfly

Why Conservationists Shouldn’t Forget About Insects

Insect conservation can be a tough sell. Lots of people simply don’t like bugs, and an endangered bug simply doesn’t pull on the heart strings.