The birth of writing and the first alphabet were among the world’s most vital inventions.

On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers flew their "Flyer" four times, with their longest flight lasting 59 seconds and covering 852 feet. To assist in making a turn, the Wrights realized that the ...

Einstein's Dream: Combining the laws of the universe in one theory that explains it all is the Holy Grail of physics.

In this feature, you will be faced with an ethical dilemma that is illustrated with ideas and imagery you might find repugnant, even abhorrent. In addition, this feature may not be suitable for ...

How were the giant stone heads of Rapa Nui–also known as Easter Island–carved and raised, and why? Since Europeans arrived on this remote Pacific island over 300 years ago, controversy has swirled ...

In ancient Egypt, when pharaohs wanted to record something for eternity and have it be known not only to mortals, but more importantly, to the gods, they wrote in stone. The hieroglyphs carved into ...

Can we harness the power of artificial intelligence to solve the world’s most challenging problems without creating an uncontrollable force that ultimately destroys us? ChatGPT and other new A.I.

Arctic Passage homepage At first glance and out of context, the amount and variety of food brought on the Erebus and Terror, the two ships of Sir John Franklin's expedition, seems impressive (see list ...

Major funding for NOVA Wonders is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and public television viewers, with additional ...

When Glacial Lake Missoula's ice dam shattered, a northern arm of the lake drained in a matter of hours through a narrow gap in Montana's Blackfoot River valley. One can only imagine the extraordinary ...

Color photos, old newspapers, the Declaration—we've all seen materials damaged by long-term exposure to light. But what's actually happening? The Declaration of Independence took a lot of abuse in the ...

The story behind the centuries-long decipherment of ancient Maya hieroglyphs.