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Heaven is a 'fairy story', says Stephen Hawking

British scientist Stephen Hawking has branded heaven a "fairy story" for people afraid of the dark, in his latest dismissal of the concepts underpinning the world's religions.

Other Sciences / Other

created May 16, 2011 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (25) | comments 295

'Fossil eel' squirms into the record books

A new species of eel found in the gloom of an undersea cave is a "living fossil" astonishingly similar to the first eels that swam some 200 million years ago, biologists reported on Wednesday.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Aug 17, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (19) | comments 58

Stephen Hawking to turn 70, defying disease

British scientist Stephen Hawking has decoded some of the most puzzling mysteries of the universe but he has left one mystery unsolved: How he has managed to survive so long with such a crippling disease.

Physics / General Physics

created Jan 05, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (16) | comments 17

Messenger orbital data confirm theories, reveal surprises

On March 18, 2011, the MESSENGER spacecraft entered orbit around Mercury to become that planet's first orbiter. The spacecraft's instruments are making a complete reconnaissance of the planet's geochemistry, ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Jun 16, 2011 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (16) | comments 24 | with audio podcast

Evolution is written all over your face

Why are the faces of primates so dramatically different from one another?

Biology / Evolution

created Jan 11, 2012 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (16) | comments 10 | with audio podcast

Two new NASA LRO videos: See moon's evolution, take a tour

In honor of 1,000 days in orbit, the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Md. has released two new videos.

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Mar 14, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (13) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Mercury's surprising core and landscape curiosities

(PhysOrg.com) -- On March 17, the tiny MESSENGER spacecraft completed its primary mission to orbit and observe the planet Mercury for one Earth-year. The bounty of surprises from the mission has completely ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Mar 21, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (12) | comments 13 | with audio podcast

First galaxies were born much earlier than expected (w/ video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- Using the amplifying power of a cosmic gravitational lens, astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy whose stars were born unexpectedly early in cosmic history. This result sheds new light ...

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Apr 12, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (11) | comments 26 | with audio podcast

Dinosaurs had fleas too -- giant ones, fossils show

In the Jurassic era, even the flea was a beast, compared to its minuscule modern descendants. These pesky bloodsuckers were nearly an inch long.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Feb 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (11) | comments 8

Geologists discover new class of landform -- on Mars

(PhysOrg.com) -- An odd, previously unseen landform could provide a window into the geological history of Mars, according to new research by University of Washington geologists.

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Mar 22, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (12) | comments 47 | with audio podcast

Four-winged dinosaur's feathers were black with iridescent sheen

A team of American and Chinese researchers has revealed the color and detailed feather pattern of Microraptor, a pigeon-sized, four-winged dinosaur that lived about 130 million years ago. The non-avian dinosaur's ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Mar 08, 2012 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (11) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

A new glimpse into ancient human history

Analyzing DNA from four ancient skeletons and comparing it with thousands of genetic samples from living humans, a group of Scandinavian scientists reported that agriculture initially spread through Europe because farmers ...

Biology / Evolution

created Apr 30, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (10) | comments 1

Warm and fuzzy T. rex? New evidence surprises

The discovery of a giant meat-eating dinosaur sporting a downy coat has some scientists reimagining the look of Tyrannosaurus rex.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Apr 04, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (11) | comments 15

Whales in the desert: Fossil bonanza poses mystery

(AP) -- More than 2 million years ago, scores of whales congregating off the Pacific Coast of South America mysteriously met their end.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Nov 19, 2011 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (10) | comments 8

Backup plan for the International Space Station

The space shuttle flew to the International Space Station 37 times, but its retirement leaves NASA reliant on the Russian Soyuz for future trips, raising the question of what would happen if the Soyuz is grounded for an ...

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Jul 31, 2011 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (10) | comments 10

History

History (from Greek ἱστορία - historia, meaning "inquiry, knowledge acquired by investigation") is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians. It is a field of research which uses a narrative to examine and analyse the sequence of events, and it sometimes attempts to investigate objectively the patterns of cause and effect that determine events. Historians debate the nature of history and its usefulness. This includes discussing the study of the discipline as an end in itself and as a way of providing "perspective" on the problems of the present. The stories common to a particular culture, but not supported by external sources (such as the legends surrounding King Arthur) are usually classified as cultural heritage rather than the "disinterested investigation" needed by the discipline of history. Events of the past prior to written record are considered prehistory.

Amongst scholars, the fifth century BC Greek historian Herodotus is considered to be the "father of history", and, along with his contemporary Thucydides, forms the foundations for the modern study of history. Their influence, along with other historical traditions in other parts of their world, have spawned many different interpretations of the nature of history which has evolved over the centuries and are continuing to change. The modern study of history has many different fields including those that focus on certain regions and those which focus on certain topical or thematical elements of historical investigation. Often history is taught as part of primary and secondary education, and the academic study of history is a major discipline in University studies.

For more information about History, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.