The Past
All Stories
Solved? The mystery of the Easter Island statues.
They're positioned as they are for a good reason.
Rare gemstone particles found in an 8th-century nun’s mouth shatter a historical misconception
The gem lapis lazuli is the source of luminescent blue in manuscript illustrations.
What are we really doing here? 10 quotes from Yuval Noah Harari
The Israeli historian has plenty to say.
Dinosaurs are alive! Here’s how we know, and why it matters
Feathery dinosaurs are the perfect case study of how scientific revolutions happen.
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10 of the greatest ancient and pagan holidays
The ancients had a cornucopia of holidays and festivities.
Archaeologists unearth dozens of mummified cats in Egypt
Dozens of mummified cats were dug up this week. This isn't as shocking as you might think.
The wisdom of collaboration
An anthropologist and a theologian walk into a room. The punchline is wise and wonderful.
Massive search for this woman in photograph from 1971 turns up fascinating details
The Internet solves another mystery.
Who was Saint Valentine? And why was he beheaded?
Valentine's Day has a surprisingly raunchy history, going back thousands of years.
How the World Lost the Fight to Separate Church and State
Religion influences politics more now than it did 50 years ago. Are we going forward or backward?
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Humanity’s Earliest-Known Ancestors Have Been Discovered in Southern England
This is the oldest fossil ever found belonging to the line that leads to us.
Archaeologists Might Have Discovered St. Nick’s Remains in a Hidden Tomb
Gulp. Is that you, Santa?
The Primer on Russia’s “Active Measures,” Its Information Warfare Strategy
KGB-era "active measures" are still being used by Russian intelligence agencies today, according to experts.
Can the Trump-Russia Scandal Really End in Treason Charges?
Charges of treason are often used incorrectly in today's political climate. Treason has a very specific definition in the U.S. Constitution.
Irish Travellers Recognized as Ethnic Minority in “Historic” Step
Irish Travellers, a group facing much discrimination and inequality, is given formal ethnic status in Ireland.
The Most Dangerous Philosopher in the World
The work of Kremlin-approved philosopher Alexander Dugin provides key insights on the longterm strategy behind Russian hacks of the American elections.
Steve Bannon’s Rise Caps the Triumph of “Yellow Journalism” over Traditional Media
Much news on the Internet is very similar to the dangerous "yellow journalism" of history.
Why the Electoral College exists (and isn’t going anywhere soon)
The history and reasoning behind the much-maligned Electoral College.
Why Einstein thought a world government was a good idea
The idea of a world government has been a hot topic in the U.S. elections and throughout history.
Here’s What 19th-Century American Cartoonists Thought of Russia
Way before there was Cracked or Mad magazine, there was Puck, a weekly satirical publication that came out of St. Louis, Missouri in 1871. Here are some of the incredible full-color illustrations of that era's political issues.
History’s First Terrorists
Modern terrorism has roots in a mythical sect of assassins from the time of the Crusades.
5 Qualities of Fascism: Is the US Anywhere Close?
There is one specific condition for fascism to take hold in the United States.
Black Death: The Upside to Killing Half of Europe
The Black Death, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, wiped out 30 to 50 percent of Europe's population between 1347 and 1351. But, this is just the most infamous of the little microbe's shenanigans. Y. pestis, which is one-millionth our size, has caused three major pandemics and continues killing people to this very day. The plague gets such a bad rap because it represents some of the greatest tragedies to ever befall the human race.