Spiders may be creepy, but they know amazing tricks. Some species have learned to fly. Others like to hangout underwater. Spider silk is strong and flexible. Spiders use it for more than just webs. Scientists keep trying to mimic spider silk. Once they succeed, people will find many awesome uses.

Plants can do amazing things. They grow in the most unlikely places. They soak up sunlight for energy, and use rain, wind, and animals to spread their seeds. Some plants lure insects for food. Others can self-clean. Humans have copied many clever plant tricks. Today, scientists are placing technology inside plants. The results are awesome.

Whales are the world’s largest animals. They roam the ocean in search of food, calling to each other with song. Humans nearly hunted whales to extinction. Now we learn from them, making better wind turbines and water filters. Whales may also help with medicine and climate change. They are awesome.

Few species are as smart and playful as dolphins. These speedsters of the sea live in social groups. They have taught us many useful lessons about life in the ocean. With natural sonar, they can swim and hunt while blindfolded. Scientists study dolphins to learn more about intelligence in animals and in humans.

Sharks are perfect predators. These toothy fish have super senses for finding prey. We fear sharks but we also learn from them. The study of shark skin has led to many new inventions. Some species can even glow in the dark. New undersea drones swim like sharks. More discoveries await in the awesome world of sharks.

Birds fly with speed and grace. They build intricate nests. Birds are survivors. They live on every continent of the world. Humans learned to fly by copying birds. Today, many new discoveries come from the study of birds. Scientists, architects, doctors, and engineers learn from them.

Many anthropologists believe the human species originated in Kenya's Rift Valley, where hominid skulls more than 2 million years old have been discovered. That fact alone would make Kenya an important place. But this East African nation has many other extraordinary characteristics: diverse terrain, a remarkable variety of plant and animal life, and a fascinating blend of cultures and languages among its people. The political system in Kenya is far from ideal. Historically, government corru...

Ethiopia, unlike most African countries, remained mostly free from European colonial influence. This landlocked country in East Africa had been the site of a powerful ancient kingdom, which was overthrown by a military coup in 1974. A socialist government was established, under which millions of Ethiopians starved during the famines of the 1970s and 1980s. Rebel groups initiated a civil war and overthrew the government in 1991. Although Ethiopia adopted a new constitution in 1994 and held ...

The air campaign that opened the Gulf War in January 1991 was one of the most stunning in history. For five weeks, American and other Coalition aircraft pounded enemy targets with 88,000 tons of bombs. Sorties—more than 100,000 of them—were launched from bases in Saudi Arabia, from aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, and even from bases in the United States. The skies over Iraq and Kuwait were filled with a dizzying array of new and improved weapons—Tomahawk and Hellfire mis...

What's the special today?It's Movable Feasts, an anthology of new stories.Editor Jim Corrigan asked for stories on the general theme of eating out, everything from buying a hot dog to having dinner on Fifth Avenue. A stellar group of writers contributed, including Dave Brigham, Joan Bogert Brigham, Beth Chariton, Elizabeth Christopher, Shawna-Lee Ingram Perrin, Larry Yu, and Howard Zaharoff.Together the stories offer a full menu: humor, drama, historical fiction, a ...

After Christopher Columbus and other European adventurers landed in the Americas during the 15th and 16th centuries, the lands they explored were often called the "New World." However, North, South, and Central America were new only to the people of Europe. Native Americans had lived on the land for millions of years.In some cases, the natives and Europeans were able to live in peace and even learned from each other. Most of the time, however, the European invaders brought with them diseas...

In this anthology, the characters are at work. A roadie tries working at home; a Mars mission takes a turn; a former teacher works for a ride service; and more. Company Time features stories by Dave Brigham, Tod Brubaker, Maria Carvalho, Jack Coey, Norman Klein, W.R. Koons, Sean McElhiney, Kathrine Piper, Kenneth Schalhoub, and Howard Zaharoff. The previous books in the series are Movable Feasts and Losing the Map.