History

Christmas trees—and conifers in general—have made some surprising cameos throughout U.S. history, author Trent Preszler reveals in his book Evergreen

Making fire on demand was a milestone in the lives of our early ancestors. But the question of when that skill first arose has been difficult for scientists to pin down

A scientist has identified a possible astronomical explanation for the Star of Bethlehem, as described in the Bible

Ten great stories about 10 forgotten female scientists that we hope will inspire middle school readers to pursue their own curiosity and get involved in STEM fields

The Black Death ravaged Europe, and scientists and historians are still working to understand how it became so deadly

A machine-learning breakthrough could lift the veil on Earth’s early history—and supercharge the search for alien life

Heimlich maneuver; training fleas

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence released long-promised records related to vanished pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. More records are promised on a rolling basis

The popularization of the term “slop” for AI output follows a centuries-long pattern where new tools flood the zone, audiences adapt and some of tomorrow’s art emerges from today’s excess

Betrayal, ambition and the double helix: turning Rosalind Franklin’s story and the discovery of the structure of DNA into an opera

A personal experiment with the artificial intelligence music platform Suno’s latest model echoes a new preprint study. Most listeners can’t tell AI music from the real thing, but emotional resonance still demands a human story

Disease-causing bacteria that have been recently discovered in the teeth of Napoleonic soldiers may have spurred the massive infantry’s demise during its retreat from Russia