operation argus

Declassifying Operation Argus

Operation Argus marked the first time the earth’s magnetic field was visualized experimentally. 
A leopard crouched where a vehicle left tracks

Indian Leopards Living High on the Dog

Unbeknownst to unsuspecting residents, a large number of leopards are prowling the fields and backyards of populated agricultural lands in India. 
Stuffed Passenger Pigeon atop a wooden perch

Passengers Long Gone

Martha, last of the passenger pigeons. 
Mohawk Mesolite, a crystalized mineral spray.

2014 is the International Year of Crystallography

UNESCO has declared 2014 to be the International Year of Crystallography.
A close-up of a cell fossil

The Mystery of Megasphaera

When did animals first come into being? It might have been millions of years earlier than we thought.
Fossilized bone of Psittacosaurus liujiatunensis

Recession Lessons from an Ancient Fossil Bed

In a 120-million-year-old rock in Northeast China, paleontologists made a remarkable find.
Illustration from 1411 depicting Moses standing between two individuals laying down and covered with boils

Infection Control 600 Years Before the CDC

Modern health authorities combating the Ebola virus in West Africa might look to medieval infection control for inspiration.
Marijuana plant

Is Marijuana Good for Public Health?

What if the rise in marijuana smoking prompted by legalization brings more than just tolerable negative side effects? What if it is actually good for public health?
Astronomical image of Alpha Capricorni

Ole Rømer and the Speed of Light

In 1676, Danish astronomer Ole Rømer predicted that an eclipse of one of Jupiter’s moons would occur ten minutes later than expected. How did he know?
An overhead perspective of a Common Green Darner on a green leaf

Long-Distance Migration: Everybody’s Doing It

The birds do it. The butterflies do it. And now we know that the dragonflies do to it, too: long-distance migration.