Countdowns

Some Christmas traditions mirror pre-Christian festivities, but some pagan influences may have been overstated.

This year, we learned that our Neanderthal cousins were a lot like us, despite treading their own path that ended in extinction.

Geographical barriers and cultural differences can prevent people from mingling with their neighbors, leading to genetic isolation — and the phenomenon is more common than most people think.

From the wheel 5,500 years ago to the birth control pill, these 20 inventions had huge ramifications and have helped humans shape the world around us.

In recent years, scientists have successfully grown a range of miniature organs and human body parts in the lab.

Scientists have been searching for evidence of extraterrestrial life for decades. So, where are all the aliens? Here are 12 intriguing theories ...

Countdown Lucy may be the best-known prehuman fossil in the world. But other famous fossils have given us important insight into our evolutionary history.

Countdown From Roman "fish scale" armor to Japanese samurai suits, these examples of battle armor were designed to protect and impress.

From the humble trillion to Graham's number, here are some of the most massive numbers ever conceived by humans.

From the discovery of gravity to the first mission to defend Earth from an asteroid, here are the most important physics experiments that changed the world.