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216 illustrations
In 2007, a team of scientists led by Robert Gill at the U.S. Geological Survey tracked a bar-tailed godwit they called E7 as she flew...
When Eric Liddell arrived at the 1924 Paris Olympics, he was Scotland's fastest man — heavily favored in the 100 meters. But when he learned...
In the summer of 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell stunned the world — not by what he ran, but by what he refused to run....
In the fall of 1979, Herb Brooks held tryouts for the US Olympic hockey team. Sixty-eight of the nation's best college players showed up. Brooks...
In the summer of 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite in the 100 meters. But when he learned...
For decades, scientists dismissed roughly 98 percent of human DNA as "junk." It didn't code for proteins, so they assumed it served no purpose —...
For decades, scientists dismissed roughly 98% of human DNA as "junk" — meaningless filler between the genes that actually mattered. It seemed like biological waste,...
In 1972, geneticist Susumu Ohno coined the term "junk DNA" to describe the roughly 98 percent of human DNA that doesn't appear to code for...
In 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite in the 100 meters. But when he learned the heats were...
In the summer of 1924, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell arrived at the Paris Olympics as the favorite in the 100 meters. When he learned the...
In the 1924 Paris Olympics, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell faced a decision that baffled the sporting world. The 100-meter dash — his best event —...
For decades, scientists dismissed roughly 98% of the human genome as "junk DNA" — vast stretches of genetic code that appeared to serve no purpose...
For decades, geneticists dismissed roughly 98 percent of human DNA as "junk" — meaningless filler between the genes that actually coded for proteins. It seemed...
When Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508, the artist resisted. He was a sculptor, not a...
In 1977, NASA launched Voyager 1 into space carrying a golden phonograph record. Carl Sagan and his team curated 115 images, greetings in 55 languages,...
For decades, geneticists dismissed nearly 98 percent of human DNA as "junk" — meaningless filler between the genes that actually mattered. It had no obvious...
In the 1924 Paris Olympics, Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell faced a decision that baffled the sporting world. His best event, the 100 meters, was scheduled...
In anatomy, the vagus nerve is one of the most misunderstood structures in the human body. Its name comes from the Latin word *vagus*, meaning...
The human body contains roughly 37 trillion cells, and here is what astonishes me: every single one carries the complete blueprint — all 20,000-plus genes,...
When Antoni Gaudí took over as chief architect of Barcelona's Sagrada Família in 1883, he knew he was accepting a task he would never finish....
In 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven stood before an orchestra in Vienna to conduct the premiere of his Ninth Symphony. He was almost completely deaf. He...
By the time Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony — arguably the most celebrated piece of music in Western history — he was completely...
In 1463, the city of Florence commissioned a massive block of Carrara marble to become a sculpture for the cathedral. The sculptor Agostino di Duccio...
In 1857, Joseph Scriven wrote a poem for his mother back in Ireland. She was going through a difficult season, and he was thousands of...