History
The Surprising History of Scientific Ballooning in 11 Missions
It started with farm animals—now it's revealing secrets of the cosmos
The Genius of Benjamin Franklin
Richard Munson’s 3 greatest revelations while writing <i>Ingenious</i>, his biography of Franklin, the scientist.
How the Occult Gave Birth to Science
For scientists of yore anything—from mermaids to alchemy—was on the table.
“This Is a Great Day with Me”
Alexander Graham Bell reflects on the very first telephone call in a letter to his father.
Is Discovery Inevitable or Serendipitous?
The role of chance and predictability in scientific breakthroughs.
The Perpetual Quest for a Truth Machine
Why human attempts to mechanize logic keep breaking down.
The Force Was with Them
My generation of filmmakers shook up cinema forever. Where are history’s periodic surges of creativity taking us?
Magic Died When Art and Science Split
Renée Bergland’s 3 greatest revelations while writing <i>Natural Magic: Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, and the Dawn of Modern Science.</i>
The Smartphone of the Middle Ages
An accident of lighting uncovers Jewish, European, and Islamic origins.
Is Christianity Based on Psychedelic Trips?
A radical theory that pagan cults gave rise to early Christianity.
