The Great Wall of China
Many people think the Great Wall of China is one continuous wall built at one time. This isn’t accurate. The Great Wall of China is a collection of numerous walls built over a span of two thousand years! It stretches across northern China and southern Mongolia. Most sections of the wall are now ruins and […]
New Theory on the Vikings’ Disappearance from Greenland
In April 2023, scientists from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania proposed a new theory for why the Vikings abandoned Greenland in the fifteenth century. The Vikings’ disappearance has puzzled scientists, historians, and archaeologists. The new research, which was published in a scientific journal, shows that sea-level rise and flooding may have contributed to […]
A History of Venice and its Flood Wall
Venice, Italy, is fighting a battle against the ocean that surrounds it. Rising sea levels and sinking land means that the city faces the constant threat of devastating floods. Luckily, Venice has developed a solution: the Experimental Electromechanical Module, or MOSE. But this system, which was fifty years in the making and cost five billion […]
Little-Known Writing System Highlights African Voices
Much of what we know about the African continent’s history has been shaped by foreign perspectives. Available records such as travel diaries and colonial archives are typically written in European languages and Arabic. However, a discovery of a little-known West African writing system, known as Ajami, is helping to bring African voices to the forefront. […]
Earth Day 2023: “Invest in Our Planet”
Saturday, April 22, 2023, is Earth Day—a day to focus on the ongoing worldwide environmental movement. Earth Day began in 1970, when thousands of colleges and communities across the United States came together to protest industrial practices that created pollution and threatened the health and safety of people and the environment. Fifty-three years later, more […]
ICARDA Helps Farmers Worldwide Keep Crops Growing
Wheat farmers in the United States can have their entire crop wiped out by a pest. In Morocco, drought conditions have made growing food difficult. Extreme weather in Ethiopia has resulted in challenges meeting the food demands of the country’s population. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, or ICARDA for short, […]
Questions Raised After Tinubu’s Presidential Election Victory in Nigeria
On February 25, 2023, Bola Tinubu was named winner of Nigeria’s presidential election. But Tinubu’s presidential opponents and several election observers have questioned the fairness of the results. Nigerian government officials have defended the election process. Tinubu is set to be sworn in on May 29, 2023. He will be the West African country’s fifth […]
President Biden Visits Ukraine on Anniversary of Russian Invasion
On February 20, 2023, United States President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. The historic visit was a demonstration of the United States’ support for Ukraine ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022. President Biden spent roughly five hours in Kyiv meeting with […]
New Discoveries Help Explain Egyptian Mummification
When you hear the words “ancient Egypt,” you probably think about mummies. You may have learned about them in school or seen them in movies. But have you ever wondered exactly how ancient people were able to preserve mummies for thousands of years, without the benefit of modern technology? Scientists have wondered about this too. […]
Study Reveals Benefits of a 4-Day Workweek
A pilot program of a 4-day workweek recently concluded in the United Kingdom. The study lasted from June to December 2022. The largest study to date, it involved 2,900 employees from 61 companies. To test a shorter workweek, employees were paid for five days of work each week, but only asked to work the equivalent […]