Why the French Revolution’s “Rational” Calendar Wasn’t
What ever happened to "the most radical attempt in modern history to challenge the Western standard temporal reference framework?"
Microbes Might Paint Your Next Party Dress
The official “fashion month,” September has concluded its parade of gorgeous outfits. These contain harmful dyes, though. Can microbes make safer colors?
A Dead Fish “Vitamin Pill,” Microbes that Put Dinner on the Table, and a Truck that Runs On Cow Manure
From microbial biochemistry to recycling dead fish to manure-to-energy converters, here’s this week’s most surprising sustainability news.
The Many Unexpected Jobs of the Clubmoss Spore
The first working internal combustion machine debuted in 1807, powered by lycopodium powder, which is made of explosive plant spores.
A Father’s Day Shout Out to Animal Dads
This Father's Day, consider some of the busiest, quirkiest, and hardest working dads around—animal dads like the the jacana, Darwin's frog, and seahorse.
The Star-Studded Life of Ms. Dorothy Bennett
The wacky life story of the astronomer, author, children's book publisher, and anthropologist who restored an old barge on the Gowanus Canal in 1937.
The Sad Story of Booming Ben, Last of the Heath Hens
Grassland-dwelling heath hen and prairie chicken populations across the country are in trouble. Loss of habitat continues to threaten their numbers.
The Science Behind What Makes a Great Pinot Noir Great
Four compounds have been identified that can help growers determine the best time to harvest their grapes.
There May Be a Ninth Planet (And It’s Not Pluto)
Caltech astronomer Michael Brown has proposed the existence of a ninth planet, the existence of which would explain the strange orbits of six KBOs.
What Tree Rings Tell Us About the Climate
Tree rings provide scientists with helpful clues regarding the planet's climate patterns, past and present.