Nelson Mandela – A Dream Come True

People came out in the millions simply to vote

Wild Neighbors

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS IS a big city—not the sort of place you’d expect to find wild predators. So when people started spotting coyotes in downtown Chicago, they had lots of questions.

The Day the Dogs Disappeared

THERE WAS A time, many moons ago, when humans and coyotes lived in harmony. People told stories of the great trickster Coyote and how he brought fire to humans, winter to the world, and stars to the Milky Way. They honored coyotes with dances and songs. They even saved the best scraps of meat for them.

Solar Pizza Oven

THE SUMMER SUN is hot, but can it cook a pizza? Yes! This tasty experiment uses heat-trapping cardboard, reflective foil, and light-absorbing black paper to harness the sun’s energy into a solar-powered pizza oven. On the next hot, sunny day, cook your own pizza with sunlight and science!

Jackson, Jackson, Make Up Your Mind!

ON A BLAZING hot summer day, the Johnson family piled into their rusty, old station wagon. Behind Mom and Dad sat Joseph and Jeffrey. Then Julie and Jolene in the row in between. Next came Jocelyn, Justin, and Jackson, all crowded in back. They were headed to Zindel’s Ice Cream Shoppe.

A Fish Named Dog

I locked eyes with the fish as I tapped flakes of food into his tank. He stared blankly at me through the glass. Not exactly my idea of a perfect pet.

The true story of a young scientist: BOY NATURALIST

“Be a hunter and explorer.” This is the advice, says world-renowned entomologist E.O. Wilson in his 1994 autobiography, Naturalist, that he gives to his science students. “If you have the will, there is a discipline in which you can succeed.”

THE MIRROR A Korean Folktale

Long ago, a young farmer married the daughter of a wealthy family. One day, he was called away to a far city to conduct important business.

HUMAN VERSUS DESERT: THE MARATHON DES SABLES

Hundreds of grueling ultra-marathons take place throughout the world, but only one is called the “toughest footrace on earth.”

THE SUN ON YOUR PLATE

Imagine a whole week of eating all the pancakes you want!

MAGDALENA SORGER

EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST

The Rabbit in the Moon

What do you see when you look at the Moon?

SHAPING DICE

More faces, more fun?

MACHU PICCHU

Machu Picchu is an ancient and isolated Incan village near Cusco, Peru. It took a lot of effort to build, and it seems to be in the middle of nowhere. All the buildings at Machu Picchu are made entirely of stone.

EDWARD O. WILSON

BIOLOGIST, NATURALIST, AUTHOR, SCIENCE PIONEER

Paradise LOST

Spin a globe slowly to find New Zealand. It’s one of the world’s most isolated island countries. Australia, the nearest significant land mass, is over a thousand miles away. Composed of two big islands stretching almost 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from north to south, and a galaxy of smaller islands, New Zealand is believed to be a fragment of the ancient southern continent of Gondwanaland.

How Trustworthy is Social Media?

Social Media has the power to reach a large population almost instantly.

Ants in Action

A world behind glass at the National Zoo

Ants Rule!

If all ants suddenly disappeared from the planet, life as we know it would collapse. In their book Journey to the Ants, naturalist E.O. Wilson and his colleague Bert Hölldobler analyzed the enormous influence these creatures have on ecosystems. Ants promote plant life, serve as predators and scavengers, and, in turn, serve as food for birds, dragonflies, and spiders. But they also can destroy crops and be serious pests.

Alabama Wilson and the Zombies of the Crawling Brain

Alabama Wilson has rocked the scientific world with an amazing discovery.

Friend & Fellow: Ant Man

Meet biology great Edward O. Wilson

Dung Beetles

Navigating by the light of the silvery moon

Werewolf Whereabouts

You are alone in the woods at night. A snarl sounds from deep within the trees. Your pulse races as you look behind you. Two golden eyes meet yours, as the full Moon casts light on a hairy half-man half-animal shape lurching toward you. What do you do?

A Closer Look: Apollo 11

Hundreds watched on July 16 as the rocket carrying the three astronauts blasted off from the tip of Florida.

Candles in Space

MY BIRTHDAY WAS going to be extra special for two reasons. For one thing, like Commander Park said, “Nobody’s ever turned nine in space before, David.”

Cosmic Mudballs from Space!

ON A TUESDAY night in April 2019, a bright fireball streaked across the sky over Aguas Zarcas, Costa Rica. A meteor! As it entered Earth’s atmosphere, the meteor broke into hundreds of small pieces that rained down on the small town.

Doodlebug & Dandelion

A Night at the Starlite Part 2

The Memorial Day Mission

“IS THAT THE last one, Poppy?” asked Boomer. His great-grandfather nodded. Every Memorial Day, they placed little flags by the headstones of a dozen pilots. Boomer and Poppy walked out the gates of the cemetery toward home.

PELÉ'S BEAUTIFUL GAME

Pelé holds Brazil’s 1970 World Cup trophy.

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls is one of Brazil’s amazing natural wonders. The sixth-largest waterfall in the world, it consists of 275 separate waterfalls. Iguazu Falls was named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in 2011.