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Back to Methuselah
The original search for the fountain of youth didn't pan out -- but a new one is under way. Scott McLemee considers "The Longevity Seekers."
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Murder, She Theorized
Serial killers have become the cultural anti-heroes of the age. Scott McLemee considers a new book that traces the back story of a morbid trend.
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Wise Saws and Modern Instances
Reaching your 50th birthday is nobody's idea of fun. Scott McLemee is just glad it only happens once.
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Crunching Literature
Machines are "reading" novels that literary historians would otherwise never get to. Scott McLemee considers the results and prospects of "Macroanalysis."
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Digital Public Library of America
Making books, artwork, and historical documents of all kinds universally available for free is a great ambition. Scott McLemee thinks the job will require a little more, though.
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Notes from the Underground
A new book explores the subterranean connections between geology and mythology. Scott McLemee returns from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
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Network Down
Who knew that WikiLeaks was around in 1773? Scott McLemee takes a look at Ben Franklin's role -- part Bradley Manning, part Julian Assange...
Opinion
The Mad World of 'Mad Men'
Just in time for the new season, a new book looks at cable TV's hit historical drama about advertising in the 1960s. Scott McLemee grabs the remote control.