the front panel of the very first Internet Message Processor (IMP), which went to UCLA's Boelter 3420 lab and became the very first node on the ARPANET, which would become the Internet

Happy Birthday to Cyberspace!

The first message sent through the ARPANET was “LO.” It was supposed to be “LOGIN,” but the network crashed after the first two letters.
A tall wind turbine in the midst of a yard

The Brewery Powered by a Wind Turbine

Inspired by the legendary Wright Brothers, local brewers on the Outer Banks of NC are harnessing wind power for their pints.
Pedestrians & Vendors On Pottinger Street, Hong Kong, 1946

Hong Kong Was Formed as a City of Refugees

The story of Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, can't be separated from its international situation.
A new lava stream cascades into the ocean at the former lava delta site in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanic Ecosystems in the Deep Ocean

Undersea volcanoes, like Hawaii's Kīlauea, foster diverse ecosystems in an environment far from sunlight—and as acidic as lemon juice.
Storm King on the Hudson by Samuel Colman, 1866

Can American Expansion Continue Indefinitely?

Or will continued abundance require serious changes in consumer behavior?
The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius, 1654

The Rise and Fall of the Pet Bird

Pet birds were considered ideal role models for middle-class life.
A pink breast cancer awareness ribbon

Branding the Breast Cancer Narrative

Do those ubiquitous pink ribbons stand for women’s health concerns... or for normative concepts of beauty?
Highclere Castle

The “Downton Effect” on the English Country House Tour

The show Downton Abbey spurred a renewed interest in English country estates.
Photograph: A Mohammadan praying towards Mecca when the Miezzin calls from a nearby mosque, with a Butane Gas reservoir in the background. circa 1950

The Jim Crow Roots of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia Relationship

Americans started pouring into Saudi Arabia in the 1940s to develop the oil fields. They brought their ideas about segregation with them.
A variety of beetles mounted on a board

The Race to Name New Species

Habitats are being destroyed so rapidly that species can go extinct before they are even named.