History and Society

History and Society

superconductor quantum levitation
Is LK-99 truly a room temperature superconductor? These 4 tests, none of which have yet been passed, will separate fact from fiction.
An image of a spiritually enlightened man posing with a celestial blue ball in tribute to Carl Sagan.
In polarized times, our shared cellular origin can unite us in solidarity and awe — from the embryonic scale to the grandest cosmic perspective.
fusion device LLNL
The National Ignition Facility just repeated, and improved upon, their earlier demonstration of nuclear fusion. Now, the true race begins.
A poster displaying different skulls of other human species on a purple background.
There were at least eight other human species, some of whom existed for far longer than we have. Who were they?
el gordo JWST rotated cropped
From when its light was emitted, the El Gordo galaxy cluster might be the most massive object in all of existence. Here's how JWST sees it.
A photo of a skull conjured through necromancy in a pile of dirt.
The Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills is filled with skulls and oil lamps — objects a new study says may have been used in dark rituals.
A group of men standing in a grassy area at Fossil Cycad National Monument.
Fossil Cycad National Monument held America’s richest deposit of petrified cycadeoid plants, until it didn’t.
An image of a sunset through a window.
How the simple act of watching twilight can radically transform our perception of the world and our role within it.
John Templeton Foundation
A cluster of bitcoins suspended in mid-air.
It will be immensely difficult for the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains to protect their competitive edge if they do not pursue a radical change.
superconducting material magnetic levitation
Recent claims put LK-99 as the first room temperature, ambient pressure superconductor ever. Has the game changed, or is it merely hype?
A successful man in a suit captured in a black and white photo.
Psychopathic tendencies may be present to some extent in all of us. New research is reframing this often sensationalized and maligned set of traits and finding some positive twists.
The demixed Beatles are shown in a crowd of people at the Hollywood Bowl.
Engineer James Clarke liberated John, Paul, George, and Ringo from their mono and stereo straitjackets using algorithms at Abbey Road.
A map showing the location of the arctic ocean.
If we're going to discuss oceanography and climate change, we should at least identify the currents correctly.
A creative spark ignites amidst darkness.
Scott Dikkers discusses comedy, the creative process, and life lessons learned playing peekaboo.
A night sky filled with numerous shooting stars during the Perseid meteor shower.
Each year in mid-August, Earth plows through the debris stream of an enormous comet, creating the Perseids. 2023's show will be magnificent!
A man is laying on the ground next to an escalator.
While the steep rise of inequality in the United States is well-known, long-run data on the incomes of the richest shows countries have followed a variety of trajectories.
A blastoid.
From the laying out of the body plan to the organization and functioning of our nervous system, cells rule gene expression and make us who and what we are.
A black and white drawing of a **shark** with its mouth open.
If cocaine affects sharks at all, it does so as an anesthetic, not as a stimulant.
albert einstein j robert oppenheimer 1947
Even with the quantum rules governing the Universe, there are limits to what matter can withstand. Beyond that, black holes are unavoidable.
A heavy metal performer with smoke-emitting eyes on stage.
What better explains the prevalence of heavy metal in Scandinavian countries: culture or economy?
X-ray view cartwheel galaxy
There are two types of missing, or "dark" matter: baryonic (made of normal matter) and non-baryonic. Have we finally found the normal stuff?
An illustration of a man with glasses in front of a colorful background.
His grandfather, a member of Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb team, foresaw the potential of nuclear energy to power cities — not destroy them.
Dune features a determined protagonist in Frank Herbert's science fiction masterpiece.
These initially sympathetic characters take readers down a dark path.
Judith Butler in a black jacket and grey scarf.
A primer on Judith Butler’s theory of gender and performativity.
Three silver boxes with designs on them.
These clocks burn powdered incense along a pre-measured paths, each representing a different amount of time.
A painting showcasing the enigmatic visage of a bearded man, invoking intrigue and perhaps evoking insight into the psychology of criminals through subtle symbolism.
Great writing can unveil the criminal psyche better than any other artistic medium.
A Greek statue of a man with a bow and arrow.
Those white, marble statues you see in museums all over the world were originally painted with bright colors.
A man experiences Stendhal syndrome while smiling in front of a red light frame.
The strange case of cultured ultra-thief Stéphane Breitwieser — who claims “art is my drug” — has divided opinion. Is it Stendhal syndrome?
dunkin's starbucks rate by state.
The richness and variety of America’s food landscape, in a buffet of maps.