This History of the Bicycle

Every day, thousands of ships crisscross the oceans, carrying the goods that power the global economy. But flying at the stern of those ships often flies a flag that puzzles people. Many vessels are...

7 Huhti 15min

A thousand years ago, the world was a radically different place. Europe was fragmented and struggling, while China and the Islamic world stood at the height of their power and innovation.  Great empi...

6 Huhti 13min

They are some of the largest bodies of freshwater on Earth, yet they weren’t carved by ice, but by a continent literally tearing itself apart.  These lakes are older, deeper, and more biologically di...

5 Huhti 15min

Long before modern democracies, before constitutions or elections as we know them, a society of Viking settlers gathered in a windswept valley to create laws, settle disputes, and govern themselves wi...

4 Huhti 15min

In the early 20th century, a glowing new element promised progress, prosperity, and even health.  It lit watch dials, captivated the public, and symbolized the cutting edge of science.  But behind t...

3 Huhti 14min

Approximately 3,400 years ago, Egypt was at the height of its power during the 18th Dynasty.  In the midst of this period came a Pharoah who completely upended Egyptian society. He built an entirely ...

2 Huhti 15min

April derives from the Latin Aprilis, traditionally linked to aperire, meaning “to open,” referring to the opening of buds and flowers in spring.  Another theory connects it to Aphrodite, the Greek g...

1 Huhti 15min

For thousands of years, farmers didn’t plant just one crop; they planted many together in the same field.  This practice, known as maslin agriculture, once fed entire populations and offered a built-...

31 Maalis 14min