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Places

9 Old-Timey General Stores In Illinois

Some Illinois general stores never stopped doing business, and others were rediscovered decades later, preserving a piece of the state's shopping history.

Towns

11 Best River Towns In America For Retirees

Want a riverfront retirement without the coastal price tag? These towns pair walkable waterfronts with nearby care and easy, car-light getting around.

County

Why New York City Is Five Different Counties

New York City is sometimes said to contain a microcosm of the world within itself. Here's why it is comprised of five different counties.

National Parks

The National Parks Overrun By Feral Hogs

Feral hogs are tearing up Great Smoky Mountains, Congaree and Pinnacles national parks, where crews use fences, traps, and culls to keep the invasive pigs out

Cities

The Best Small Town In The Finger Lakes For Seniors

Geneva, New York sits on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes, with a walkable downtown, a general hospital, and 100-plus wineries within a short drive.

Lakes

The US Lakes Behind America’s White Bass Records

The lakes where white bass grow largest, from Virginia’s world-record Lake Orange to Michigan’s Saginaw Bay, Table Rock, Lake Lanier, and Devils Lake.

Lakes

Why Great Lakes Freighters Unload Themselves

A steel arm swings over the dock and thousands of tons of ore pour ashore with no crane in sight. How the biggest Great Lakes ships empty themselves.

Oceans

How Salty The Ocean Really Is

How Salty The Ocean Really Is. The Chesapeake Bay runs nearly fresh at its northern head, while the Laguna Madre in Texas is far saltier than the open sea.

Animals

Bull Shark

The bull shark is a stocky coastal predator that can move between saltwater and freshwater, turning up in rivers such as the Mississippi, Amazon, and Zambezi.

Animals

Harpy Eagle

Harpy Eagle facts, from its bear-sized talons and sloth-hunting ambushes in the rainforest canopy to its slow breeding cycle and its Vulnerable IUCN status.

Space

Which Moon Is The Most Volcanic?

Io, Jupiter's innermost moon, has about 400 volcanoes powered by tidal heating from Jupiter's pull, not the global magma ocean once suspected.

Ancient World

The 5 Most Important Leaders In Ancient Egypt

Narmer, Khufu, Tutankhamun, Ramses II and Cleopatra: the five pharaohs whose reigns shaped Ancient Egypt across three thousand years.

Lakes

What Happens To Las Vegas If Hoover Dam Goes Dark

Las Vegas would lose about four percent of its electricity and keep every drop of its water. Why the city does not actually run on Hoover Dam

Rivers

The Most Snake Infested Rivers In Nevada

The Most Snake Infested Rivers In Nevada include the Truckee, Carson, Humboldt, and Colorado, where garter snakes, gopher snakes, and rattlesnakes find water.

Mountains

The American Mountains You Can Reach By Gondola

The American Mountains You Can Reach By Gondola. Ride to Mammoth's volcanic summit, play disc golf atop Aspen Mountain, or dine facing Mount Rainier.

Travel

11 Underrated Virginia Towns Worth the Drive in 2026

Whenever you’re ready to hit the open road, it’s worth adding to the itinerary any of these 11 underrated Virginia towns worth the drive in 2026.

Geography

How Far Apart America's Extremes Actually Are

America is a large country, and when its territories are factored in, its geographic extremes become even more prominent.

Animals

Dark-Spotted Anaconda

The dark-spotted anaconda lives in northeastern Brazil and French Guiana, a little-studied water boa that bears live young and hides in flooded wetlands.

Ancient World

Who Were The Most Influential Ancient Generals?

On top of their seemingly mythic status, these generals had a practical influence through their military accomplishments and political endeavors.

Animals

Are There Crocodiles Sneaking Up the Mississippi River Delta?

Are There Crocodiles Sneaking Up the Mississippi River Delta? No. The delta is full of alligators, but cold winters keep American crocodiles in South Florida.

Space

Which Moon Orbits The Fastest?

Gravity and orbits are a fundamental aspect of both our solar system and our universe. Here is the moon in our solar system which orbits the fastest.

Ancient World

How Roman Generals Dominated Their Opponents

The best generals of Ancient Rome relied on a slew of tactics, both military and psychological, to defeat their opponents.

Geography

How Big The Great Plains Is Compared To All Of Western Europe

The Great Plains could fit Western Europe twice with room for Texas. See how this vast region compares with European countries, from France to Austria.

Travel

Pittsburgh Has More Bridges Than Any City In America, If You Want It To

Pittsburgh calls itself the City of Bridges, and 446 is the number everyone repeats. Houston has 2,325. Here is how the claim survived for over a century.

Space

Why The Milky Way May Never Collide With Andromeda

A 2025 study of the Milky Way and Andromeda found roughly even odds of a merger within 10 billion years, challenging the long-held collision forecast.

Ancient World

The Worst Mistakes Made By Roman Emperors

Roman emperors were among history's most powerful rulers but even those who wielded immense authority made grievous mistakes.

Travel

10 Underrated Florida Towns Worth the Drive in 2026

10 Underrated Florida Towns Worth the Drive in 2026. See manatees at Blue Spring, the Navy SEAL museum in Fort Pierce, and a cattle drive in Okeechobee.

Geography

How Long America's Rivers Are Compared To The Nile

The Mississippi runs about 57% of the Nile's length, and the Missouri-Mississippi nearly 90%, with the Yukon, Rio Grande, Colorado, and Columbia even shorter.

Space

Which Moon Is The Most Cratered?

In space, floating bodies often collide. Most commonly, this occurs between asteroids and planets or moons. But which moon is most cratered?

Travel

8 Underrated Iowa Towns Worth The Drive In 2026

These towns will take you through Danish settlements, former railroad communities, and towns preserving unusually specialized museums.

Industries

The Top Semiconductor States In America

Semiconductors are some of the most coveted materials on the planet, currently. Here are the top semiconductor states in America.

Ancient World

Rome’s Bloodiest Power Struggles

Explore Ancient Rome’s most consequential power struggles and how battles for political control helped bring down the Republic and reshape the Empire.

Geography

How Big Texas Is Compared To Europe's Largest Countries

Texas is larger than nearly every country in Europe. Its 268,597 square miles stack up against Europe’s biggest nations in surprising ways.

Travel

10 Small Towns in The Poconos with the Best Downtowns

Old rail hubs, compact main streets, and unexpected local landmarks give these Poconos downtowns a personality far bigger than their size.

GDP

The Richest Countries In Africa 2025

Africa’s richest countries fall into three types: island economies, hydrocarbon exporters, and diversified markets, shaped by resources and policies

Climate

The Difference Between A Hurricane, A Typhoon, And A Cyclone

A hurricane, a typhoon and a cyclone are the same storm under three names. Which one you get depends on the ocean, and a date line crossing proves it.

Mountains

The Mountains That Are Still Growing

Some mountains are still rising today, pushed upward by tectonic forces even as erosion and melting ice reshape their peaks.

Mountains

How The Himalayas Compare To The Rockies

How the Himalayas and Rockies compare in height, length, age, glacier ice, earthquakes, and the rivers they feed, from Everest to the Continental Divide.

Mountains

The American Power Plants Built Inside A Mountain

From Tennessee's Raccoon Mountain to Washington's Boundary Dam, several U.S. power plants run their turbines deep inside excavated mountain rock.

GDP

The Richest Countries In Europe 2026

Europe has been an economic hub of the world for centuries. Strong banking and manufacturing sectors and embracing free trade have been key to its success.