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History and Society
There is nothing more important to science than its ability to prove ideas wrong.
Humans who've lived through the same events often remember them differently. Could quantum physics be responsible?
Suppose that fetuses are persons. Since pregnant people are too, how should conflicts between them be settled?
Technologically, the answer is definitely no. But that doesn't mean CGI is always used to good effect.
Regardless of political ideology, one of the few things that many people seem to have in common is a moral hypocrisy that arises from a fundamental lack of self-reflection.
In a major advance, scientists have found a new and groundbreaking way to force electrons to flow only in one direction in a superconductor.
OmnesViae is a modern route planner based on the roads of the Roman Empire.
Over time, the Universe becomes less dominated by dark matter and more dominated by dark energy. Is one transforming into the other?
13.8 billion years ago, the hot Big Bang gave rise to the Universe we know. Here's why the reverse, a Big Crunch, isn't how it will end.
Bernini created art for 8 different popes. In the process, he helped reinforce and redefine Christianity’s visual culture.
Human sacrifice appears to be as old as humanity itself. Still, experts disagree on how and where the practice first originated.
Pseudoscience is science’s shadow.
What you need to know about this smallpox cousin.
Will nature or nurture win out?
Searching for truth in unorthodox ways can be a valuable exercise. But Anatoly Fomenko's alternate world history is just plain weird.
Shame is a powerful tool that must be used with care.
The high pitches from the flute and the harp would reach your ears before the notes from the tuba and the cello.
In 100 years, perhaps this map showing humanity clustering around the equator will seem “so 21st century.”
The sky is blue. The oceans are blue. While science can explain them both, the reasons for each are entirely different.
"A cheap loan is beyond all new destiny." Does that mean anything to you?
Could Russia's plan actually destroy demand for natural gas?
At four million solar masses, the Milky Way's supermassive black hole is quite small for a galaxy its size. Did we lose the original?
To the ancient Greeks, exotic animals were proof of mythological creatures. To the ancient Romans, they were oddities and adversaries.
A recent advance in 3D imaging techniques helped spark the biggest ever discovery of North American cave art.
Cold War meets Star Wars in this cut-away of a 1950 “rubber bubble,” the first line of defense against nuclear sneak attack.
Hoarders know their habits are abnormal, and yet they cannot help themselves. Maybe you can help them.
Are psychopaths cold-blooded murderers? Not usually.
Aristotle's ancient virtues play a vital role in today's war.