Concert of Apollo and the Muses on Mount Helicon by Maerten van Heemskerck

A Brief History of the Muses

Scholar Alison Habens tells us more about the Greek goddesses who provided divine inspiration for ancient poets.
Monotropa uniflora in bloom by Nichole Ouellette

Ghost of the Forest: Monotropa uniflora

Look for this other-worldly plant in moist, shaded areas of mature forests throughout much of North America, East Asia, and northern South America.
Three titles edited by Judy Lynn del Rey

Judy-Lynn del Rey

The woman who revolutionized the fantasy genre is finally getting her due.
A view of Europa captured by JunoCam, the public engagement camera aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft, 2022

NASA’s Europa Clipper

The spacecraft will investigate whether an icy moon of Jupiter can support alien life.
Satellite image of salt deposits on Mars

“Follow the Salt”: A New Strategy for Finding Life on Mars

Scientists might be looking for Martian life in the wrong place.
Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1872

Did Romans Really Fight Rhinos?

A sports historian explains the truth behind the battle scenes in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II.
"Fresh, red cloves grow on the branch, green leaves. Zanzibar, Tanzania"

Cloves: The Spice that Enriched Empires

Behind one humble spice lies a complex history of empires and profit, commodities and globalization.
An artist's representation of the Earth during Huronian Glaciation

Snowball Earth

How scientists discovered that unique Scottish rocks record when Earth was first encased in ice.
The main mass of the Nqweba meteorite showing the black fusion crust and brecciated interior (light grey) with broken mineral and rock fragments.

Meteorite Strike in South Africa

Scientists offer clues about what it is and where it came from.
Human base on a new planet, aerial view

Astronomers Have Warned against Colonial Practices in the Space Industry

A philosopher of science explains how the industry could explore other planets without exploiting them.