The City Closest to Space Sits at 16,700 Feet: People Only Live to 35, But They Refuse to Leave

The City Closest to Space Sits at 16,700 Feet: People Only Live to 35, But They Refuse to Leave

La Rinconada is a global phenomenon – the highest permanent settlement on Earth, and therefore the closest thing we have to a city in the sky. Located deep in the Peruvian Andes at a breathtaking 5,100 meters (16,700 feet) above sea level, this place has earned a grim nickname: &qu…
10,000 Years Ago, Lions Didn't Have Manes - Cave Art Proves It

10,000 Years Ago, Lions Didn't Have Manes - Cave Art Proves It

The lion's mane is one of nature's most recognizable features. Dark, shaggy, majestic. A symbol of power, royalty, and strength. When we picture a lion, we picture that mane. But 10,000 years ago, that image would have been wrong. Male lions didn't have manes. And we kn…
Mars Is Sending Us Rocks - Over 400 Meteorites So Far

Mars Is Sending Us Rocks - Over 400 Meteorites So Far

Every year, thousands of meteorites fall to Earth. Most are from the asteroid belt chunks of ancient rock left over from the formation of the solar system. A few come from the Moon. But some come from somewhere far more intriguing: Mars. Yes, Mars. The Red Planet. The target of ou…
Prehistoric Crocodiles Galloped Across the Sahara and Ate Dinosaurs

Prehistoric Crocodiles Galloped Across the Sahara and Ate Dinosaurs

When you think of crocodiles, you think of water. Lurking. Waiting. Ambushing from below. A slow, scaly predator that strikes fast but moves slow. Now erase that image. Imagine a crocodile that galloped legs pumping, belly off the ground, chasing prey across open plains. Imagine tha…
Woolly Mammoths Came in Blond, Brunette, and Ginger

Woolly Mammoths Came in Blond, Brunette, and Ginger

When you picture a woolly mammoth, what do you see? Shaggy and brown. Maybe a little darker on the back. A classic prehistoric beast plodding through the snow. Now imagine a ginger mammoth. Or a blond one. Or a dark-haired brunette with a lighter undercoat. Surprised? You shouldn'…
You're Hurtling Through Space at 225 km/s Right Now

You're Hurtling Through Space at 225 km/s Right Now

Sit still. Don't move. Feel that? Nothing, right? No wind in your hair. No pressure on your skin. No sense of motion at all. And yet, right now, you are hurtling through space at an astonishing 225 kilometers per second over 800,000 kilometers per hour. That's fast enough t…
Bats Can Swim - And They Use the Butterfly Stroke

Bats Can Swim - And They Use the Butterfly Stroke

Bats are famous for one thing: flight. They're the only mammals that truly fly (sorry, flying squirrels you glide). They navigate by echolocation. They hang upside down. They're creatures of the night sky. But what happens when a bat falls into water? They swim. And not …
Spitfire Pilots Risked Their Lives to Deliver... Kegs of Beer?

Spitfire Pilots Risked Their Lives to Deliver... Kegs of Beer?

The year is 1944. The Allies are pushing through Normandy after D-Day. Supplies are tight. Fuel is precious. Ammunition is even more so. And somewhere in southern England, a group of RAF pilots is hatching a plan. Not to bomb a bridge. Not to strafe a convoy. To deliver beer. The…
What If Humans Lived for 200 Years? A Gift or a Curse?

What If Humans Lived for 200 Years? A Gift or a Curse?

Imagine blowing out 200 candles on your birthday cake. Your great-great-grandchildren are there. Your body is old but not ancient. Your mind is sharp. You've lived through things no human was ever meant  to see. Now imagine everyone else does too. What would a world of 200-ye…