2015 January – June

Africa's First City

In Lagos, Nigeria, a boom economy widens the rift between the wealthy and the poor.

The First Artists

Credit them with pivotal innovation in human history: the invention of symbolic expression.

The First Year

In the incredible learning machine that is a baby's brain, development depends on loving caretakers.

A First Glimpse of the Hidden Cosmos

As scientists map the universe, what they can't see - dark energy and dark matter - is key.

Tracking the First Americans

Genetic data and new archaeological discoveries offer clues to the mystery of early Americans' origin.

Proof | First Bird

The bald eagle may be a majestic national symbol - but it's also one tough bird.

Hubble's Greatest Hits

After 25 years on the job, the Hubble Space Telescope stands as "one of the world's most productive and popular scientific machines."

Lincoln

Along the train route that his body traveled home, people debate Lincoln's legacy.

A Lincoln Gallery

Photos show the struggles of the nation etched into the president's face.

How Coal Fuels India's Insurgency

Militants capitalize on human poverty amid mineral wealth.

The Bug That's Eating the Woods

A warming climate is good for pine beetles - which is very bad for forests.

Trajan's Amazing Column

On a pillar of Carrara marble, an emperor's exploits tower over Rome.

Proof | Argentine Identities

A photographer glimpses many cultures in the faces of the country's people.