How Does a Scorpion Decide When to Sting?
There are actually two decisions to make: whether to sting at all and whether to use prevenom or full venom.
The Amoral Scientist
Fritz Haber was a chemist who made discoveries that improved global agriculture… but also helped spawn the modern era of chemical warfare.
Who Really Wrote The G-String Murders?
Gypsy Rose Lee, the most famous burlesque star of the 1940s, wrote a series of letters published by Simon & Schuster that may prove her authorship.
The Trouble with Absinthe
When temperance advocates won the ban on absinthe in 1915, many of them saw it as the first step in a broader anti-drinking campaign.
Anthropologists Hid African Same-Sex Relationships
Sex between people of the same gender has existed for millennia. But anthropologists in sub-Saharan Africa often ignored or distorted those relationships.
Mount Everest’s Death Zone
The zone above 8,000 meters is known among mountaineers as the “Death Zone.” Why do most deaths in the high mountains occur at these extreme heights?
Smells Like Divine Spirit
The 4th century was a turning point for the role of scent in the Christian church.
A Century After They First Appeared, Electric Boats Are Making a Comeback
In the late 1800s, electric boats were a promising new technology. They are now enjoying a revival.