Category Science

When did people start building houses with corners?

Rectangular buildings became common from about 10,000 years ago, as seen in this reconstruction of the ancient city of Çatalhöyük in Turkey selimaksan/iStockphoto/Getty Images Buildings with corners have a much deeper history than we thought, adding an unexpected twist to…

The Saw-Toothed Function That Broke Calculus

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Calculus is a powerful mathematical tool. But for hundreds of years after its invention in the 17th century, it stood on a shaky foundation. Its core concepts were rooted in…

Why Is Chocolate So Expensive Right Now?

This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Just four West African countries are the foundation of an industry worth more than $100 billion. In the tropical nations of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and…