Meet Smelly Kelly, the Subway Sniffer of New York City

From gas leaks to eels, James “Smelly” Kelly changed the history of the city’s underground. By Eric Grundhauser.
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Bayes' Theorem: the maths tool we probably use every day, but what is it?

The decisions we make in life often come down to Bayes' Theorem, but most of us don't even realise what it is. So how does it work?
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Where Are The Romanovs’ Missing Fabergé Easter Eggs?

The Russian royal family had their intricate, bejeweled Easter eggs crafted by Fabergé. Then they were killed, and the glittering treasures scattered. By Allison McNearney. (Sep. 2, 2016)
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Literary Look Behind the Iron Curtain: Best North Korea Books

Though North Korea remains as impenetrable as ever, these books offer glimpses into the nation through fiction, memoir, and more.
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Human evolution: Small remains still pose big problems

In early 2004, the Australian palaeoanthropologist Peter Brown teasingly e-mailed me pictures of a strange-looking skull, asking what I thought it was. I knew that he had been working in east Asia, so I guessed that the images might represent the first discovery of a very primitive member of our genus, Homo, from somewhere like China.
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As France’s Towns Wither, Fears of a Decline in ‘Frenchness’

ALBI, France — The paint is fading, but the word is still clear: Alimentation, “Groceries.” It seems like a stage prop, grafted above the window of the empty old storefront. Opposite stands a tattoo parlor. Nobody enters or leaves. The street is deserted.
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A Week in Pre-War Syria

A detailed photo report about a week in pre-war Syria: women without headscarves, Assad’s portraits, Damascus and coastal Latakia, gray architecture & more.
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