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The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was a test—and a first in the history of aviation
space exploration

Where the Little Helicopter on Mars Fits in the History of Aviation

If the past is any guide, things are going to take off quickly.
Robin George Andrews February 13, 2024
The auditorium at the historic Lansdowne Theater near Philadelphia.
abandoned

A Case for the Preservation of Abandoned Places

Finding where history, passion, and urban development come together can mean a lot to a community.
Matthew Christopher February 9, 2024
A illustration depicts the Hopkinsville Goblins incident from 1955, when a group claims they were assaulted by aliens of some sort.
aliens

The Long, Surprising Legacy of the Hopkinsville Goblins

Or, why families under siege make for great movies.
Colin Dickey February 8, 2024
An Arctic tern in flight; the seabirds were a critical source of food for the Beothuk people of Newfoundland, and also likely inspired some of their funerary traditions.
islands

In Newfoundland, a Bird Spirit May Have Guided a Lost Culture's Dead

For centuries, the Beothuk people relied on seabirds to survive—and likely to find their way to the afterlife.
Nicky Nielsen February 7, 2024
Contract bridge is known to have a dedicated, sometimes intense, community that enforces its codes of conduct.
games

How the Pandemic Brought Cheating to the World of Competitive Bridge

The game's culture cares deeply about its codes of conduct, but online play rewrote the rules.
Adrienne Raphel February 1, 2024
astronomy

Imbolc, Groundhog Day, and Brigantia All Celebrate the Coming Spring

Whatever you call it, early February's cross-quarter day reconnects us with ancient astronomical timekeeping traditions.
Rebecca Boyle January 30, 2024
HMS <em>Terror</em>, depicted here in an anonymous drawing, and HMS <em>Erebus</em> were locked in ice for over a year. All hands were lost.
ships

'Terror Camp' Could Be a Glimpse of the Future of Fandom and Scholarship

“It’s academia that feels criminally fun!”
Elizabeth Minkel January 30, 2024
A postcard from 1945 illustrates numerous delights to be found in a mid-century Nevada, but offers no advice on pronunciation.
language

Why Do Nevadans Pronounce Their State's Name So Strangely?

How you say it certainly says something about who you are.
Dan Nosowitz January 26, 2024
The call of the green frog is said to sound like the plunk of a banjo string.
music

The Many Lives of ‘Sounds of North American Frogs’

This metamorphic record is a teaching tool, a flirtation device, a college radio favorite, a nostalgic object, and more. BOOP!
Cara Giaimo January 23, 2024
The Tomnaverie Stone Circle is a dramatic megalithic monument devoted to the Moon. A large recumbent stone, arranged between two smaller, upright stones, is visible just to the left of the image's center.
megalithic

Scotland's Ancient Stone Circles Mark Our Deep Connection to the Moon

Unlike Sun-focused Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments, Tomnaverie and similar stone circles hint at the Moon's importance to ancient people.
Rebecca Boyle January 17, 2024
A 1912 postcard depicts a Lake Erie at night.
cryptozoology

Toward a Unifying Theory of Lake Monsters

From Champ to Bessie to lake sturgeon, these cryptids represent what lies beneath the surface of the familiar.
Colin Dickey January 17, 2024
underwater

How the Great Lakes Formed—And the Mystery of Who Watched It Happen

Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were.
Gemma Tarlach January 11, 2024
A nearly gutted department store escalator in Owings Mills Mall in Owings Mills, Maryland.
abandoned

The Life and Death of the American Mall

The indoor suburban shopping center is a special kind of abandoned place.
Matthew Christopher January 10, 2024
Bill G.B. Pallot, pictured here in his Paris home in 2017, has been at the center of a storm over counterfeit antique furniture.
crime

The Furniture Fraud That Threw the French Antiques World Into a Furor

Was it an elaborate scam or a highbrow battle of wits?
Nina Strochlic January 8, 2024
Monopoly was first introduced to America in 1935, but its roots go deeper.
games

The Hidden Worlds of Monopoly

From Atlantic City to high fashion to Karl Marx, the most recognizable board game has had serious cultural impact.
Adrienne Raphel January 5, 2024
Alet-les-Bains, France

L'église de Saint-Salvayre

This mysterious church sits discreetly above the Aude countryside, right in the heart of "Grail Country."
Eggnog, technically, comes from space.
astronomy

Asteroid Collisions, Wandering Spacecraft, and Eggnog

Taking holiday a moment to appreciate how Earth got its water—and eggnog and mulled wine.
Robin George Andrews December 21, 2023
The Chinese television series <em>The Untamed</em> wasn't necessarily a common subject of fanfiction. The Yuletide fan exchange might have helped make it much more popular.
holidays

The Yuletide Fanfiction Exchange Is a Holiday Marvel

For two decades, fans have been waking up on Christmas morning to custom, obsession-feeding gifts from strangers.
Elizabeth Minkel December 19, 2023