NGCORIGINS

10 Travel Innovations That Made the Modern World Possible

Where would we be without the horse, the compass, or the steam engine?

5 Surprising Ways the Age of Exploration Shaped Modern Civilization

The voyages of Christopher Columbus and others may seem like ancient history, but they actually resulted in major cultural exchanges that shaped the world we live in today.

7 Ingenious Ways Architecture Helped Humans Thrive

We take the idea of sturdy buildings and city infrastructure for granted in the modern era.

9 of the Deadliest Developments in War Strategy

For thousands of years, military strategists have tried everything within their means to suffocate rivals while minimizing casualties of their own.

7 Signs Language Is Still Evolving

If you travel 500 years into the future, you might not recognize your own native tongue.

10 Things You Might Not Know About the Rise of Money

One of the foundations of modern society is our currency, a system in which financial means drive one’s ability to acquire assets—both the things we want and the things we need.

9 Little-Known Contributions to Medicine

Get to know an assortment of under-sung or oft-forgotten scientists whose discoveries and inventions played important roles in saving individual lives—and arguably, entire civilizations.

7 Unexpected Ways Fire Changed the Course of History

Before people invented the wheel, went to space, or launched the internet, they first discovered how to harness fire.