History

Six decades ago, the Soviets launched a cosmonaut into orbit, shaking up the Cold War in ways that still reverberate.
Peter Gwynne, Contributor
Greek mythology says Icarus fell because he flew too close to the sun. What does science say?
Yuen Yiu, Staff Writer
A new paper suggests whales learned to escape the grasp of hunters in just a few years.
Katharine Gammon, Contributor
Modern tech helps researchers read unopened letters from more than 300 years ago.
Charles Q. Choi, Contributor
Inside Science offers thanks and recognition for scientific accomplishments during a challenging year.
Chris Gorski, Editor
Analysis of dental plaque more than 3,000 years old reveals traces of proteins from bananas, soybeans and turmeric.
Charles Q. Choi, Contributor
Celebrating the Indigenous people of the Americas who revolutionized what the world eats.
Yuen Yiu, Staff Writer
The etymological root of the word links nonrepresentational art and the history of scientific publications.
Yuen Yiu, Staff Writer
Franklin, who was born 100 years ago, played a key role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. But her full story is much richer.
Catherine Meyers, Editor
Artifacts found in a Mexican cave are about 30,000 years old.
Charles Q. Choi, Contributor
Movies, music and even candy wrappers helped people process what it meant to put the powers of gods in human hands.
Chris Gorski, Editor
The Manhattan Project resulted in reactions both new and unforeseen.
Abigail Malate, Staff Illustrator