Most Recent
Before Clovis
Were people in North America long before the
so-called "first Americans"? Explore an interactive map.
Stone Age Toolkit
Would you know how to use an ancient stone tool if
you unearthed one? Try your hand here.
Photographing the Big Melt
James Balog describes his Extreme Ice Survey in this
audio slide show.
Population Explosion
In this interactive, trace the effects of the
best-understood mass seeding of all, that of oak-tree
acorns.
Energy's Future
Steven Chu, slated to be the next U.S. Energy
Secretary, offers his take on California's policies and the
nation's options.
The Journalist
The Economist's Vijay Vaitheeswaran sees the pros and
cons of California's approach.
The Skeptic
Marlo Lewis of the Competitive Enterprise Institute
warns that the state's green agenda could lead to economic
ruin.
The Governator
Arnold Schwarzenegger remains fearless about his
state's energy bet.
Design a Parachute
Create a parachute strong and light enough to safely
slow the rovers in their descent toward Mars.
Anatomy of a Rover
Examine the robotic geologists and their suite of
scientific instruments.
Radiocarbon Dating
What is carbon-14 anyway, and how can it reveal the
date of an ancient artifact?
Who Wrote the Flood Story?
Examine evidence suggesting that at least two sources
contributed to the famous story of Noah.
Archeological Evidence
On this time line, explore discoveries related to the
earliest Israelites, the writing of the Bible, and the birth
of monotheism.
Who's Who in Human Evolution?
Meet your increasingly distant cousins in this
clickable illustration of the past seven million years.
Compare the Brains
How does the hobbit's brain measure up to those of a
modern human, a chimp, and others?
A Sense of Scale
Explore the infinite detail of a Mandelbrot set as
you zoom to a magnification of 250,000,000x.
Design a Fractal
Create and save your own wildly colorful fractals
using our generator.
Science Fiction and Fact
Follow a time line of parallel worlds—those of
sci-fi and quantum physics.
Force of Impact
How could a lightweight piece of debris cause
catastrophic damage? Find out in this simulation of the
shuttle's launch.
Decode Stela 3
"Read" Maya hieroglyphs carved on an eighth-century
stone monument, and hear them spoken aloud.
Time Line of Decipherment
Trace key discoveries in the effort to understand the
Maya script.
Two Worlds
In this quiz, see how women in rich and poor
countries face very different realities when it comes to
childbearing and maternal health.
Anatomy of Childbirth
Review the three stages of having a baby as well as
some of the risks women face.
Wind Tunnel Test
How did Microraptor use its second pair of
wings to glide? See for yourself in this virtual experiment.
Built to Fly
Compare the anatomy of the oldest known bird and its
dinosaur cousins.
Scenes From a Quarry
Detailed line drawings reveal the tools and
techniques of ancient Greek craftsmen.
A Sense of Scale
Travel from absolute zero to what may be the highest
temperature.
Spy Photos
A surveillance-image specialist examines photos of
Iraq, North Korea, and other political hotspots.
MiG vs. Sabre Anatomy
Compare the two fighters—one Russian, one
American—whose pilots dueled to the death over "MiG
Alley."
