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Ancient World

How Romans Trained Their Legions

The Roman military was known for strict discipline and training of its soldiers, who were considered among the most formidable fighters of the ancient world.

National Parks

The National Park With The Tallest Mountain

The National Park With The Tallest Mountain is Denali in Alaska, home to Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet.

Forests

The Deadliest Wildlife In America's Forests

Bears get the headlines, but the deadliest wildlife in America's forests is often small enough to overlook, from ticks to mosquitoes

Oceans

The Pacific Coast Where Sea Otters Have Come Back

Sea otters were hunted nearly to extinction. See where they've come back on the Pacific coast, from Big Sur to Alaska and BC, and the 840-mile Oregon gap.

State Parks

The Wildlife Most Likely To Ruin Your State Park Trip

The Wildlife Most Likely To Ruin Your State Park Trip is not the bear or the rattlesnake. It is the tick you find behind your knee after driving home.

County

The Counties With No Incorporated Towns

There are over 3,000 counties in the United States, and no two operate exactly the same. Here are the counties with no incorporated towns.

Lakes

The Lakes Where Invasive Plants Have Choked Out Boaters

Invasive weeds have choked the ramps and boat lanes on lakes across the US, from Texas salvinia to Adirondack milfoil, and crews fight to keep them open.

Oceans

What Happens To Plastic Once It Reaches The Ocean

Plastic can drift for years after reaching the ocean, breaking into invisible fragments, entering marine life, and sinking into places humans can barely reach

Lakes

The Great Lakes Fish That Live Longest

Meet the Great Lakes fish that live longest, including century-old lake sturgeon and long-lived trout, carp, and freshwater drum.

Oceans

The Deepest Point In The Gulf Of Mexico

The deepest point in the Gulf of Mexico is the Sigsbee Deep, nearly 3 miles down. Underwater cliffs, salt domes, and brine pools that pickle whatever swims in.

Animals

Animals With More Than One Heart

Various animals have different heart structures; some, like octopuses and earthworms, have multiple hearts, while others use alternative systems.

Animals

Black Panther

Black Panther is not a species but a melanistic leopard or jaguar, its rosettes still faintly visible as ghost markings beneath the all-black coat.

Space

Which Planet Is The Smallest?

Although the context can change the answer to this question, Mercury is the smallest planet, circling closest to the Sun.

Ancient World

The Bloodiest Battles In Ancient History

Gaugamela, Cannae, Carthage, and the Catalaunian Plains: four ancient battles that killed tens of thousands and rewrote the map.

Stories

Island Hopping Across Lake Erie

Island Hopping Across Lake Erie means ferry-hopping between Pelee, Kelleys, and the Bass Islands, a bi-national run of wineries and glacial grooves.

Travel

11 Small Towns on the Atlantic Coast with the Best Downtowns

From foggy Maine fishing harbors to a Florida reef town, these 11 Atlantic Coast small towns pair a walkable main street with a working waterfront.

Animals

Caracal

Caracal is a reddish, tuft-eared cat of the dry country of Africa and Asia, built to spring more than ten feet up and pluck birds out of mid-air.

Animals

Serval

Serval is a slender African cat with the longest legs and largest ears of any feline, a sound-hunting rodent specialist that leaps to snatch its prey.

Space

How Long Would It Take To Travel To Each Planet?

Moving at a speed of 50,000-miles per hour, it would take 32-days to reach Venus, the closest planet, and 2,250-days to reach Neptune, the furthest planet.

Space

Speed Of Sound VS Speed Of Light

Light is about 880,000 times faster than sound, but the real differences are stranger: what each needs to travel through, and what slows them down.

Ancient World

Similarities And Differences Between The Roman Republic And Empire

The Roman Republic and Empire looked alike in territory and culture but differed completely in who held power and how the army was used.

Geography

How Big Alaska Is Compared To The Lower 48

Alaska is one fifth the size of the Lower 48 and bigger than Texas, California and Montana combined. Why the maps you grew up with got it wrong twice.

Travel

11 Small Towns in The Northern United States with the Best Downtowns

Some downtowns are worth the whole trip. Meet 11 northern US towns with brick storefronts, lakeside Main Streets, and walkable historic districts.

Space

Which Planet Has The Longest Year?

As the rhyme goes, Mercury is the one, closest to the shining sun. But which planet is furthest, and which has the longest year?

Ancient World

Why Ancient Greece Never United Into One Empire

Discover how geography, fierce city-state rivalries, and competing governments shaped Ancient Greece: one of history's greatest civilizations.

Travel

10 Small Towns on the Pacific Coast with the Best Downtowns

Skip the famous coastal cities. These Pacific Coast small towns keep their best shops, theaters, and beaches within one walkable downtown.

Space

Which Planet Has The Deepest Canyon?

The deepest canyon in our galaxy is found on Mars, known as Valles Marineris, which plunges nearly seven miles deep and is 2,400 miles long.

Stories

Britain’s National Archives Mark 250 Years of American Independence

Britain's National Archives Mark 250 Years of American Independence with the war seen from the losing side, drawn from the paperwork Britain filed and kept.

Industries

10 Countries with the Largest Uranium Reserves

Australia holds 1.67 million tonnes of recoverable uranium, but Kazakhstan mines the most. How the ten largest resource holders compare.

Religion

African Countries With Islam As The Religion Of The Majority

In 19 African countries, Islam serves as the religion of the majority.

Society

Life Expectancy in Asia

Japan has the highest average life expectancy in Asia, as well as the world.

Geography

What Continent Is Hawaii In?

Although politically Hawaii is considered part of North America, geographically Hawaii is not part of any continent.

Geography

Landlocked Countries In Asia

Twelve countries in Asia are considered landlocked, although some of them, like Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, are along the Caspian Sea.

Geography

What Are The Contiguous United States?

Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia share a boundary with at least one other state and jointly make up the contiguous United States.

Sports

The Largest Stadiums In Asia

The biggest stadium on Earth isn't in America or Europe. It's in Asia, alongside 14 more giants. See the largest stadiums in Asia, ranked by capacity.

Nature

What Is A Cloud Forest?

How cloud forests drink from the clouds, and why Kilimanjaro, Monteverde, Yakushima and the Appalachians all depend on the mist.

Climate

The Driest States In The United States

The driest states in the US aren't all deserts. Some are famous for snow. Ranked by NOAA precipitation data, with the geography that keeps each one dry.

Climate

The Cities With the Lowest Annual Rainfall in the US

The Cities With the Lowest Annual Rainfall in the US are led by Yuma, Arizona, where barely three inches fall in a year, followed by Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Society

Countries That Use Their Own Calendar

In Ethiopia, it's not the year you think, and there are 13 months. Discover the countries that still run on their own calendars instead of the Gregorian one.

Society

Deepest Metro Stations in the World

Some metro stations plunge over a hundred meters underground, driven by challenging terrain, leading to engineering marvels with grand designs.