THE MAGAZINE

Scaling Glaciers to Study Minuscule Worms

7 Scientific Solutions for Annoying Little Problems

Scientists are working to alleviate those maddening, irritating, altogether obnoxious things that can make your everyday life hell. And not a moment too soon!

All-American Road Trip: 18 Stops on the Pan-American Highway

Covering almost 30,000 miles, the Pan-American Highway offers the most diverse scenery on the planet—and plenty of pit stops.

6 Amazing Volcano Vacations

Earth’s most furious mountains are also the most rewarding to visit, as the amazing photos show here prove.

What’s Inside a Dandelion?

Although plenty of folks have dismissed dandelions for their plain exterior, savvy investors know it’s what’s inside that counts. Turns out the milky white sap in dandelion stems is latex, the building block of rubber.

MARK CARWARDINE/NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY/CORBIS

The Bats and the Bees

On our way into the Bangangai Game Reserve, a protected area of lowland forest and glades, we pass an open-air bushmeat market.

The Great Smoky Mountains' Incredible Firefly Light Show

Today, the rare Smoky Mountain fireflies are a tourist attraction. Twenty years ago, science didn’t believe they existed.

The Stories Behind 6 Breakfast Mascots

They join you for breakfast every morning. Shouldn’t you get to know them better?

The Perfect Time of Day to Do Everything

Want to make your days happier, healthier, and more lucrative? Just follow this schedule.

Silence of the Newts

Three dead men. No clues. Just a newt. And he wasn’t spilling the beans.

Flash Flood in China's Quankou Dong Cave

IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CAVES, A SCIENTIST GETS IN OVER HER HEAD.

The Quest to Save the Whooping Crane

To save an endangered species, scientists have to play the part.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Patricia Highsmith's most memorable supervillain was inspired by a chance encounter. But how fictional was he really?

Underground America: 7 Things You Could Be Standing on

You just never know what you might be standing on. We asked the author of 'Gross America: Your Coast-to-Coast Guide to All Things Gross' to see what he could dig up.

6 Ways to Have a Lucky Baby

Every culture has its infant-blessing method.

Unearthing Richard III: The Luckiest Find in History

All it took to locate the bones of Richard III was 500 years, a psychic vision, and a grassroots movement.

Pun-Off Champion Benjamin Ziek

Each May since 1978, some very punny people gather in Austin, Texas, to participate in the O. Henry Pun-Off. This year's competition takes place May 10; we spoke with last year's Punniest of Show, Benjamin Ziek—who plans to participate again this weekend—