Technology & Innovation — April 7, 2014

Who Owns Outer Space?

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Humans have always been attracted to new frontiers, and not just for the adventure. Christopher Columbus stumbled on the New World while looking for another route to the Spice trade for Spain, since Portugal had control of the African route. Now outer space calls to adventurous capitalists. But who owns outer space?

Scientific American explores that question in this video:

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

In a black and white illustration, four cartoon characters stand among poppies, set against a fantasy world backdrop. Overlaid text delves into the 19th-century currency debate, highlighting the clash between "Silverites" and "Goldbugs," merging historical intrigue with imaginative charm.

High Culture

5 beloved fantasy novels based on real history

Many beloved fantasy adventures take place in worlds that bear a striking resemblance to our own.

a drawing of a man sitting on top of a chair.

The Past

Mansa Musa and the mythical African king who may (or may not) have sailed to the Americas

Mansa Musa, perhaps history’s richest man, claims he ascended the throne of Mali after his predecessor sailed west and never came back. Could he have made it to the New World?

a green map of china on a black background.

Sponsored

How China gained — and lost — its spot as the world’s wealthiest nation

The story of China is the story of global economics.

Strange Maps

How a “flying circus” gave us the first aerial maps of Earth

Thomas Baldwin’s Airopaidia (1786) includes the earliest sketches of the earth from a balloon.

Hard Science

Urban planning in space: 3 off-world designs for future cities

The future of cities on the Moon, Mars and orbital habitats.

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