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The US Rivers With The Most Leeches
The US Rivers With The Most Leeches share slow, warm, weedy backwaters, led by the Upper Mississippi’s sloughs and Minnesota’s aptly named Leech Lake River.
Why Great Lakes Freighters Break In Half
Naval architects treat a ship as a beam, and the lock at Sault Ste Marie decides how long and shallow that beam has to be. Why lakers break in half.
Where Coral Snakes Go In The Winter
Coral snakes spend winter in old burrows, stump holes, and tortoise tunnels, rousing on warm days. Here’s where they go and how to stay safe around them.
Why Thousands Of Bald Eagles Gather On One Alaska River Every November
A gravel fan stores summer heat, five miles of river refuse to freeze, and 3,000 bald eagles answer: the science behind Earth’s greatest eagle gathering
Where Black Bears Den For The Winter
A hole dug in a hillside, a hollow tree 60 feet up, or the crawl space under your deck: where America’s 900,000 black bears actually spend the winter
Why Yellowstone’s Bison Leave The Park Every Winter
Snow pushes Yellowstone’s bison out of the park every winter. At the boundary they meet cattle politics, a disease cattle gave them, and a slowly opening door
What Happens If A Solar Flare Hits During A Spacewalk
Solar flares are natural phenomena originating from the Sun, during which large amounts of solar radiation are emitted. They can be dangerous to humans.
The Biggest Myths About The Fall Of Rome
Explore the biggest myths about the fall of Rome, including barbarian invasions, military decline, and the empire's true end in 1453 CE.
The 10 Tallest Mountains In The Sierra Nevada
Mount Whitney leads California's Sierra Nevada fourteeners, a list of 10 granite peaks first climbed between 1864 and 1921 by surveyors and mountaineers.
The Largest Tree By Volume On Earth
General Sherman holds about 52,500 cubic feet of wood, more than any on Earth. Giant sequoias get there by growing fast, living millennia and surviving fire.
The 12 Can't-Miss Towns In California's Sierra Nevada
Railtown’s steam trains in Jamestown, the tufa towers at Lee Vining, and Lone Pine’s movie hills lead this list of can’t-miss Sierra Nevada towns.
The State Parks Where You Share The Trail With Hunters
These state parks across the U.S. allow hunting alongside hiking, with seasonal restrictions, designated hunting zones, and trail safety rules.
The Oldest Zoos In America
From Central Park Zoo in 1864 to the Maryland Zoo in 1876, these 8 American zoos were showing animals before the light bulb, and all of them are still open.
The Deepest Spring In The United States
Wakulla Spring near Tallahassee drops about 185 feet, the deepest freshwater spring basin in the US and the source of the Wakulla River.
The Deepest River Gorge In America
Hells Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border drops 7,913 feet from He Devil to the Snake River, with Nez Perce history, three dams, and a wild stretch of river.
9 Overlooked Towns In The Northern United States Worth Visiting
In the Northern United States, 9 overlooked towns offer a 1959 lift bridge, a candy-striped lighthouse, mine-pit bike trails, and a tour beneath the streets.
The Oldest Mountain Range In The United States
The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountain range in the US at about 480 million years, though Missouri and the Black Hills hold far older mountain rock.
Where America's Meteorites Are Found Most Often
While a meteorite can land pretty much anywhere in the world, there are certain areas in the United States where they are more likely to be found.
The Shortest Reigning Roman Emperors In History
Gordian I, Gordian II, Didius Julianus, Pertinax, and Otho were among the shortest-reigning emperors in Roman history, with the Gordians ruling for 21 days
9 Overlooked Towns In The Great Lakes Worth Visiting
Skip the crowds at the big-name Great Lakes stops for nine quieter towns nearby, spread from Lake Superior to Lake Ontario, each worth the detour.
The Best Places To Visit On Maryland’s Eastern Shore
These are the best places to visit on Maryland's Eastern Shore, with historic streets and local traditions worth planning a day or a weekend around.
What The Juno Spacecraft Found Hiding Under Jupiter’s Clouds
Juno looked beneath Jupiter's swirling clouds and found that its familiar storms are only the beginning of a far stranger world hidden deep inside.
Was Alexander The Great Or Julius Caesar A Better General?
Both Alexander The Great and Julius Caesar are considered some of the greatest generals of all time. But which was better?
These Small Towns In Washington’s San Juan Islands
A ferry ride across these islands of the San Juan archipelago can lead to places where the journey is only part of the appeal.
The Highest Mountain Range In The Lower 48
The Sierra Nevada runs about 400 miles through eastern California, climbing more than two miles above the Owens Valley and topping the Rockies and Cascades.
Why Space Is So Cold If The Sun Is So Hot
Sunlight crosses the near-vacuum of space without warming it, since so little matter is there to absorb it. Planets heat up, but the space between stays cold.
The Story Of The Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire ruled from Constantinople for a thousand years after Rome fell, shaping law, faith, and trade until the Ottoman conquest of 1453.
The Top Nuclear Power States In America
There are many states in America which have active nuclear power plants. These are the top twelve nuclear power producers.
The 10 Tallest Mountains In New Mexico
New Mexico's 10 tallest major mountains include Wheeler Peak, Truchas Peak, and remote summits with restricted hiking access.
The American Mountains With The Most Venomous Snakes
Rattlesnakes and copperheads live in the mountains of New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Arizona, denning on rocky slopes and even along hiking trails.
The Best Places To Visit On Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula
These 7 destinations along the Door Peninsula each have a distinct character, shaped by Great Lakes scenery, maritime heritage, and charming waterfronts.
The Last American Shipyards Still Building Ships
Destroyers are built in Bath, Maine, carriers in Newport News, Virginia, and the first US-built heavy icebreaker in about 50 years in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Why Earth Is The Only Planet Not Named After A God
Every other planet carries a god's name. Earth kept the Old English word for soil, because nobody knew it was a planet until Copernicus put it in orbit.
The States That Import The Most Electricity
The states importing the most electricty, like New York, Vermont, and Minnesota, reveal how closely America's energy needs are tied together.
How Much Of The US Is Federal Land Compared To Other Countries
Some countries allow for much more private ownership of land than others. Here's how much federal land the US owns versus other countries.
The Top Solar Power States In America
Texas and California lead US solar generation, while Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina add utility-scale projects, storage, and grid upgrades.
The Highest-Altitude Stadiums In North America
North America's highest stadiums, from Denver's mile-high venues to Mountaineer Bowl in Gunnison and Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, Mexico.
The US States That Export The Most Electricity
Pennsylvania leads US states in net electricity exports, followed by Alabama and Illinois, as nuclear, gas, and wind plants feed grids across state lines.
US States With the Most Snake Species
The states with the most snake species line the country's southern edge, and eight of the top 10 touch either the Mexican border or the Gulf Coast.
Every Place In America That Averages Over 200 Inches Of Snow
At just 95 feet above sea level, Valdez averages more snow than some mountain stations, showing why America's 200-inch snow zones aren't all peaks.