Who Owns Antarctica?
map men
Frankenstein inspired by suicide of Mary Shelley’s half-sister, book reveals
The twin tragedies alter the understanding of the themes of Frankenstein. It is often read as a warning about the perils of science, but as the daughter of Wollstonecraft, England’s…
Why is North up?
Why is north up? Has north always been up? What used to be up before north was up? Does it matter if a direction other than north is up? And…
Conservative MP Antoinette Sandbach
and her family ties to the trans Atlantic slave trade
David Lynch’s Cinematographer Talks About How That Incredible NYC Rat PSA Got Made
David Lynch was a true artist—how many other filmmakers' names have been turned into adjectives? Lynch, who died on Thursday at the age of 78, was also responsible for one…
How the Famous Lucy Fossil Revolutionized the Study of Human Origins
Half a century after its discovery, this iconic fossil remains central to our understanding of human origins
99% Invisible: Ancient DMs
The story of an 2700 year old archive, its accidental preservation, and the unprecedented—and often funny—glimpse it gives us into the daily life of an ancient king.
Not Just the Tudors: Dissolution of the Monasteries
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the dissolution of some 800 monasteries and nunneries by King Henry VIII, a campaign that dramatically reshaped England’s landscape and society. Suzannah meets leading experts -…
Moon Rocks Wanted
On September 18, 1998, an unusual ad ran in USA Today — a company called John’s Estate Sales was looking to buy a moon rock. The phone number on the…
tipping in the US
why we do it