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Ancient History
From landscaped gardens to road systems, the Persians were among the first to create many things we still enjoy today.
A preview of the latest novel by the New York Times bestselling author.
In this excerpt from The Laws of Thought, Tom Griffiths shares how George Boole developed a mathematical theory of logic.
AI is not a rupture in history, but a continuation of intelligence emerging where information becomes systematically arranged.
The revival of Pasto Varnish shows how living heritage can survive if knowledge is passed on in time.
Travel half the distance to your destination, and there's always another half to go. So how do you eventually arrive? That's Zeno's Paradox.
Scientists found a massive underwater wall off the coast of France that might help explain the origin of the legend of Ys.
Well before plants and animals, there were fungi.
In this excerpt from The Breath of the Gods, Simon Winchester explores how the Sumerians first named the wind and shaped our early understanding of the natural world.
The plan — conquer China and push west to attack the Ottomans — was peak imperial hubris, as the Spanish themselves eventually realized.
In this excerpt from "America's Most Gothic," Leanna Hieber and Andrea Janes examine the history and folklore of Maine's vanished schooner.
Proposed over 2000 years ago by Democritus, the word atom literally means uncuttable. Revived in 1803, today's "atoms" can indeed be split.
In this excerpt from "Seven Rivers," historian Vanessa Taylor explores how Ancient Egyptian pharaohs harnessed the Nile River to build empires and secure their power.
We don't learn from history because we can't learn from history.
About six million years ago, the Mediterranean was sealed off from the Atlantic, and over centuries it ran dry. One megaflood reversed that.
In "The Headache," Tom Zeller Jr. explores one of the human brain's most enduring, and painful, enigmas.
In "Dinner with King Tut," Sam Kean examines how a burgeoning field is recreating ancient tasks to uncover historical truths.
In "The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs," Riley Black reveals the bold mammals that thrived in the Age of Reptiles.
A comparison of wealth gaps in ancient empires reveals stark differences and lasting consequences.
The Gospels aren’t historical biographies but genre-defining works that blend myth, theology, and a promise of hope.
From medieval myths to Shakespeare's plays and modern cinema, British culture kept the Roman Empire alive long after its fall.
The latest season of the "Revolutions" podcast blends history with science fiction to tell the story of the Red Planet's rise.
While death-bed utterances are more famous, baby’s first words have influenced us too.
Ethan Kross, psychologist and author of "Shift," explains how negative emotions help us live safely and well.
The Roman Empire at one point emitted roughly 3,600 tons of lead dust per year, causing “widespread cognitive decline.”
Dubbed "Valeriana" by researchers, the city of 50,000 peaked around 800 AD before being swallowed by the jungle.
Pleasure, virtue, and doubt are necessary, but each is insufficient on its own.
One alchemist's search for a whiz-bang method to produce gold unlocked the central science instead.
Did the Milky Way form by slowly accreting matter or by devouring its neighboring galaxies? At last, we're uncovering our own history.
Carl Sagan was far from the first to declare we are the children of ancient stars.