Living Laboratories: Science and the National Parks
National parks in the US are filled with glaciers and volcanoes, which isn't an accident, as the parks developed alongside the sciences of glaciology and volcanology.
The Tamest Grizzly of Yellowstone
Adored by tourists and studied by scientists, a grizzly mother named Sylvia became an emblem of the fragile balance between humans and the wild.
The Mythical Mahogany that Helped Build the American Empire
How “Philippine mahogany” became America’s tropical timber of choice, thanks to a rebrand from a colonial logging company that drove deforestation.
The Victory of Public Lands
Most Americans agree on the value of preserving public lands. How did the idea of public lands come about, and how can we ensure they exist in the future?
Tonka Bean: The Tale of a Contested Commodity
The rise and fall of the sweet-smelling seeds of Dipteryx odorata stands in stark contrast to the tree’s lasting presence in global markets.
“Playing God” with De-Extinction
As tech companies tout successes in bringing back the likes of the long-gone dire wolf, they must grapple with accusations such innovation is immoral. Why isn’t it?
Shucking the Past: Can Oysters Thrive Again?
Dredging and pollution devastated the once-bountiful reefs. Careful science may help bring them back.
The Erie Canal at 200
Finished in October 1825, the Erie Canal connected increasingly specialized regions, altering the economic landscape of the northeast United States.
A Whale of a Shark
The largest fish, Rhincodon typus, is obviously not a whale, but it’s also unusual for a shark.
“Space Tornadoes” Could Cause Geomagnetic Storms
But these phenomena, spun off ejections from the Sun, aren’t easy to study.