What’s Killing European Trees?
Soil fungi supply nutrients to trees, but as they wither from pollution, trees suffer too.
The Many Modes of Mummification
From Egypt to East Asia, ways of making mummies have varied. Sometimes, as a recent find reveals, mummification happens completely by accident.
The Talking Statues of Rome
Since the 16th century, anonymous authors have been posting provocative political messages on or near these Roman statues.
The Science of Fevers
Trying to bring down that fever? Studies show that most fevers are actually integral to effective immune responses.
The Women Who Tried to Prevent the Trail of Tears
In the 1830s, American women, including Catherine Beecher, worked to fight Andrew Jackson’s genocidal Indian Removal campaign.
Soccer and European Identity
Throughout Europe, soccer matches like the FIFA World Cup have become deeply significant, in part because that continent's identity is so complex.
Why We Love World Cup Anthems
The excitement of the FIFA World Cup is exemplified by the songs that become World Cup anthems—both official and unofficial.
W.B. Yeats Loved Tarot Cards
The august Irish poet was once a member of a secret occult order called The Hermetic Society of the Golden Dawn. He was also an avid student of the Tarot.
Hippo Poop Kills Fish, but There’s an Upside
A robot disguised as a crocodile is helping scientists understand that mass fish die-offs serve a purpose.
The Park of Monsters
Constructed in the mid-16th century by Pier Francesco "Vicino" Orsini, this bizarre pleasure garden features twelve strange, disturbing statues--and no one knows why.