Latest articles by Heather Whipps
The World's Longest-Running Experiments
The best experiments are conducted carefully and often slowly. Sometimes, they run well after the scientists who began them are long dead.
Ancient Minty Painkiller Worked, Modern Study Suggests
The doctors of ancient Greece and China had it right when they applied cool and minty salves to soothe aches and pains.
Frank Sex Talk: Catching up with Dr. Ruth
In an interview with LiveScience, Westheimer talks about the changing sexual vocabulary and the effects of racy TV.
The PC Turns 25, for Better or Worse
Aug. 12 marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of IBM’s first personal computer, a landmark system that would spawn generations of clones and make IBM a household name.
Medieval Justice Not So Medieval
Punishments for offenses in those days were perhaps even more sensible and humane than they are now, say some historians.
Hawaiian Temples Much Older Than Thought
Ancient Hawaiians also did more remodeling than researchers knew, a new study finds.
A Brief History of Human Sex
Was it any different in caveman days? And just how does human sexuality differ compared to that of a bonobo ape? The answers might surprise you.
The Artifact Wars: Nations Battle Over Bits of History
Museums often hold important cultural objects from other countries that were obtained in a long chain of "criminal and sleazy" activities. Let the lawsuits begin.
Desire Controls What We See, Study Finds
Without realizing it, people will perceive things according to how they want to see them, a new study suggests.
Historical Tours Get New High-Tech Guide
Monuments often lack good historical explanations or offer information that is out of date. A new project would send presentations to cell phones.
Ancients Traveled 1,800 Miles for Pretty Axes
For millennia, people have gone to great lengths to get pretty things. Take, for example, the newly discovered journeys of early West Indian groups.
Genetic Mutations Help Date Old Books
The fundamentals of genetic science may help date centuries-old works by Shakespeare and Rembrandt.
Word Play: Explore Your Inner Etymologist
Searchable site reveals how words are typically paired and the difference between written and spoken English.
06/06/06: Another Date with Para-Science
From 666 to 9/11, numerologists, gamblers, fear mongers and marketers are searching for meaning where none exists.
Mona Lisa Turns 500, and Other Unproved 'Theories'
Amid more intrigue than ever, the world’s most recognizable work of art turns 500 this year. Maybe.
Bosnian Pyramids: Great Discovery or Colossal Hoax?
It's either one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of our time, or man has made a giant pyramid out of a molehill.
U.S. Unprepared for Next Great Quake
Lessons from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake have not fully reverberated to Seattle, Nashville or New York, all of which are vulnerable to a "Big One."
Wild and Wacky Tales from the 1906 Quake
A paralyzed man walks, a horse is shot for looting, and the U.S. Mail is saved.
Dinosaur Tumor Studied for Human Cancer Clues
Animal illnesses are being studied in med school in an effort to better understand the evolution of diseases that inflict us.
Yoda Helps Unlock Cathedral Mysteries
Secrets held for centuries by stonemasons are about to be revealed by new software used to animate the pint-sized Jedi.
Parthenon Once a Riot of Color
If the ancient Greeks sold kitschy postcards to tourists 2,000 years ago, they would have depicted much different views of the popular sites that visitors flock to today.
Peace or War? How Early Humans Behaved
Our ancestors are depicted as both peace-loving softies and war-mongering buffoons. Which is right? A little of both, this man says.
