Explainers

A term coined by UChicago Egyptologist James Henry Breasted, “The Fertile Crescent” refers to a region in Western Asia that gave rise to some of the world’s earliest civilizations.

Black holes fascinate both the public and scientists—they push the limits of our understanding about matter, space and time.

The origin of life on Earth stands as one of the great mysteries of science. Several seminal experiments have been conducted at UChicago, including the famous Miller-Urey experiment that suggested how life could form in a primordial soup.

University of Chicago meteorologist Ted Fujita devised the Fujita Scale, the internationally accepted standard for measuring tornado severity.

Published by the University of Chicago Press since 1906, the Manual of Style is used widely in academic disciplines and is considered the standard for U.S. style in book publishing.

Pioneered by UChicago Prof. Henry Chandler Cowles, ecological succession is the process by which the mix of species and habitat in an area changes over time.

How old is the Earth and how did we get our moon? Learn what we know and how we know it—and what mysteries still remain.

Microbes are so impactful that some researchers consider them to be a separate organ.

How rare is perfect pitch—and can you learn it?

Shaped by Nobel-winning UChicago economist Richard Thaler, behavioral economics examines the differences between what people “should” do and what they actually do—and the consequences of those actions.