Despite the protests of naysayers, the reality is that vaccines against many dreaded diseases have saved millions of lives around the world. Perhaps none has had greater success…
Human beings have long used instruments, implements, and substitutions to manipulate, extend, and replace parts of ourselves. So, merging with AI is not much of a stretch. Some…
The negative consequences of social media range from shortened attention spans to poor self-esteem. But it may also be possible to use social media for good, starting by taking…
Henrietta Lacks, who died in 1951, was instrumental in some of the most significant medical advancements of the 20th century. Even today, long after her death, Lacks’s DNA…
When a violent tragedy occurs in a particular home, it becomes stigmatized real estate. Here's a look at three notorious "Murder Homes" and their fates.
From Charles Manson’s Family to NXIVM, cults are disturbing examples of groupthink gone wrong. Here’s an overview of America’s most famous cults, how they operate, and how to know…
These unsolved U.K. mysteries include a vanished real estate agent, a teen boy whose bike ride veered tragically off course, and the death of a Yorkshire coal miner – who some…
Among the many things the Roaring ’20s were known for was the rise of organized, violent crime. And there were hardly any mob bosses more notorious than Al “Scarface” Capone.…
The Apis bull was one of the most revered sacred animals in the ancient Egyptian religion, with a key role as a living embodiment of divine power. It had an enduring legacy, with…
Complex irrigation systems have sustained populations in the Middle East for thousands of years since antiquity. Fueling the prosperity of Earth’s earliest civilizations, some of…
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world, but it is just one of the Khmer Empire’s many Angkor temples. My visit opened my eyes to Cambodia’s past and present,…
In this documentary, scientists present new evidence that the “decline and fall” of ancient Rome could have been as much about disease and climate change as about politics and…
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A calamitous event – a tornado, a flash flood, an airliner crash – can cause great loss of life, physical and emotional trauma, or infrastructure damage. For victims of such…
The “Me Too” movement took off in 2017 after The New York Times published allegations that film producer Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed, abused, and assaulted women for years.…
An intriguing exploration of the city’s history, “Empire Builders: Los Angeles” delves into the stories of migrants who have shaped this megalopolis. The doc presents an engaging…
The story of the creation of the atomic bomb is as riveting today as it has ever been. Now, MagellanTV will release a concise, authoritative documentary that dives deep into the…
How old, in fact, is the Moon? Scientists thought they had answered that question, but a new study suggests that an extreme heating event may have interfered with earlier…
What do we know about the development of our Universe, and what more is there to learn? Space telescopes like the Hubble and the James Webb are opening up new vistas of knowledge…
The changing seasons on Earth are nature’s gift that keeps on giving. Not only do they enchant us, but life itself might depend upon their progress year in and year out. And what…
Discover the origins of Memorial Day, from its U.S. Civil War roots as Decoration Day to its evolution into a national holiday honoring all American military personnel who gave…
Italian Resistance fighters sabotaged Nazi operations during WWII through guerrilla warfare, rail attacks, factory disruptions, and aiding Allied forces – crucial efforts that…
U.S. leaders were never convinced defeating the Germans in Italy was the way to end the war in Europe. By May 1945, however, the sacrifices of Americans and others in a truly…
Once humans began to fly like birds, aviation development reached a dizzying pace. Military planners quickly adapted airplanes as tools of war. Constantly evolving airframes,…
There was a private side to Elvis that most fans know little about: Elvis was a devout seeker after the truth of life and experience – spirituality. He shared his quest with very…
Despite starting from virtually nothing, Gordon Parks succeeded in making art in multiple media, from the pages of Vogue magazine to the success of Shaft and other groundbreaking…
In an era when “swift boating” of veterans aspiring to high political office is common, it is instructive to consider the extraordinary courage and dedication to public service of…
What happens when one’s monumental scientific achievement results in cataclysmic death? “Father of the bomb,” Robert Oppenheimer, was deeply troubled about the consequences of his…
Ottoman sultans of the 16th century were supposed to impregnate the concubines in their harem, but a marriage between the two was strictly taboo. See how Suleiman I’s love…
The world runs on debt. Consumer debt is part of daily life in the U.S. In 2023, that debt was just under $5,000,000,000,000 – that’s 5 trillion! Debt is, at a basic level, about…
What do the Salem Witch Trials and the case of mysterious bodily tics in high school cheerleaders have in common? Both originated as instances of mass psychogenic illness.
In 1518, the city of Strasbourg experienced a “dancing plague.” Hundreds of citizens felt a painful and uncontrollable urge to dance, and many couldn’t stop dancing until they…
From the Buddhist Sky Burial to the Navajo Swift Burial, death rituals reveal much about what we think life and death are all about. Just as often, it seems, the rituals are…
Along with many modern nations, the Philippines was influenced by a long history of European colonization. Centuries of rule by Spain led to a compelling mix of Indigenous,…
Shakespeare captures important aspects of the human condition so beautifully that we often mistake others’ beautifully written contributions for his. So, what are some famous…
We want to be in the public eye; we all want to be heard. We’ve gone from shock-talk shows like “Jerry Springer” to dating shows like “The Bachelor.” Now we’ve added social media.…
Once upon a time, commercial air travel was an adventure enjoyed by millions of people. But that changed dramatically when an epidemic of airliner hijackings broke out during the…
In September 1935, the Florida Keys were struck by a monster hurricane that killed hundreds of people, many of them veterans of World War I. Ernest Hemingway, who maintained a…
In February 2022, Vladimir Putin launched Russia military against its neighbor Ukraine in an unprovoked invasion. Learn significant details about the early months of the war in…
Around the globe, hundreds of millions of people live in poverty. In the land of opportunity, the United States, people are not immune to poverty. What does it mean to be poor,…
Climate change has disrupted weather patterns, causing droughts and high temperatures that lead to severe, long-lasting wildfires. These fires release carbon, worsening the…
“Zombie fires” have become a priority for environmental scientists who study the relationship between wildfires and global warming. So, what are zombie fires, and why are they so…
Since life first appeared on Earth billions of years ago, many species have disappeared into extinction, leaving only fossil traces. A few of them, though, have made a surprising…
Human activities have only recently been considered catalysts of seismic activity. If humans are not careful, our methods of extracting natural resources and our growing…
Chocolate’s history is long, convoluted, and tasty. Beginning in the southern part of what’s now Mexico, cocoa production has been an international industry with questionable…
Madagascar was uninhabited by humans for 88 million years, giving natural selection free rein to create approximately 150,000 unique species that exist nowhere else on Earth.…
Climate change has had a profound effect on oceanic populations of crustaceans. Accordingly, researchers have conducted comprehensive studies to learn more about individual…
Fire ants are common in warm, sunny regions around the world. Their stings can be terribly painful and debilitating, and their ravenous behavior often wreaks havoc on agriculture…
Smoking cessation brings immediate benefits such as improved circulation, better breathing, enhanced taste and smell, and more energy. Learn what changes to expect in the first…
Vacations might seem to be an essential part of life today, but they haven't actually been common for all that long. Once reserved only for society’s elite, vacations today create…
Paganism is a popular topic during the Halloween season. Around 1.4 million people identify as Pagans in the U.S., and their history and beliefs are far more complex than many…
Swipe! A match! Get struck by Cupid’s arrow! As with most things in life, dating in the digital age offers opportunities and challenges. One such challenge is conduct. What are…