Philosophy & History
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The otherwise unrelated ancient languages of Sumerian and Akkadian share a writing system. This led to cultural mixing and exchange that make their relationship hard to define.
On Earth, quarantines help to contain outbreaks. During the Apollo Missions, NASA took precautions to make sure no alien germs hitched a ride back to Earth.
Taxonomy in the 18th century struggled with how to define whales and dolphins. But even after science had reached a consensus, popular imagination continued to wonder: is a whale a fish?
Since antiquity, alchemists tried (and failed) to create gold out of base metals. Instead, their work laid the foundations for modern chemistry.
Maps drawn by the US government in the 1930s made racial segregation an official promise of public policy. Those maps, and the policies they underpinned, paved the way for today’s segregated cities – and ongoing environmental degradation for Black Americans.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 promised to bring a new, scientific approach to governing Russia. Twenty years later, scientists were detained in Sharashki – technical prisons where they were forced to work on weapons of war.
Despite intimidation from male peers and powerful institutions, a group of 19th-century women lead the charge for gender equality in medicine education.
They may seem innocuous now, but microwaves have been mired in controversy since their inception in the 1940s — with many people fearful of radiation, cancer, and Chernobyl-style disasters.
How a meticulous Italian scientist discovered what makes frog legs twitch — and bridged two nascent scientific disciplines.
Cognitive biases aren't confined to laypeople, but researchers have several strategies for countering the foibles of the human mind.
The Western medical history often glosses over Islamic scientists. Ibn Al-Nafis’ discovery of how the heart pumps blood is no exception.
Self-experimentation is risky but has led to major scientific breakthroughs. Can science and society learn to work together to get the best of both worlds?
Bioluminescent glows have fuelled myths and legends for thousands of years. Jennifer Tsang explores how cultures around the world have interpreted luciferin's glow.
Autonomous vehicles are helping many scientists monitor marine animals. But as they become cheaper and easier to use, will they disrupt the wildlife we seek to protect?
Scientists know the world through data, but Aboriginal Australians know the world through the ancient musical tradition of songlines.
What determines the size of our personal space, and how do we cope when someone encroaches on our territory? Our psychological claim on the world may be more complicated than we think.
Honey and charcoal, used by medical practitioners since ancient times, still persist in modern hospitals. Not every medicine has to be sophisticated.
With detours through war zones, animal surgeries and ethical questions, the road to safe heart transplants has been anything but smooth.
As robots replace more and more human workers, the world needs to work out how to transition to an automated economy without destroying society.
Millions of people in well-educated countries reject the scientific consensus on evolution. Why is it so easy to doubt?
Earth’s oceans are impressive, but humanity’s history of space exploration has revealed many more seas beyond our own.
Charles Darwin is usually painted as a reluctant, tormented hero trapped between religion and science. This is completely wrong.
Improbable events, like Leicester City's recent Premier League win, break our brains, so statisticians and sports fans alike need to be careful.
Not all scientists are created equal. Here we present the crème de la crème – men and women whose work revolutionised the world and continues to inspire the next generation.
World War I was a blindingly tragic period in human history. But it also catalysed many advances in medicine, chemistry and technology that we use to this day.
Known more as a musician than a scientist, Alexander Borodin was a friend and colleague to many famous scientists of the nineteenth century. Sometimes those just outside the limelight have their own stories to tell.