Meet Elizabeth Freeman, the First Enslaved Woman to Sue for Her Freedom—and Win

In 1780, the proclamation “all men are born free and equal,” rang out from the central square in the small town of Sheffield in western Massachusetts. The line was from the state’s newly ratified constitution, read aloud for a proud public to hear. America’s war for independence was raging and, like the rest of the burgeoning country, the town was gripped by revolutionary fever.

Short Film: Second to None

Anyone who has a sibling has felt a bit of rivalry at some point in their life. Growing up in my older sister’s shadow, I certainly spent a big portion of my early childhood plotting her demise. However, I never took it quite as far as Frederick, the bitterly jealous twin in Vincent Gallagher’s deadly funny Second to None. With deliciously dark humour and intricate set designs, revealing new, ingenious touches with every watch, this seven-minute stop-motion is a gift that keeps on giving, delighting audiences young, old and everyone in between.

Richard Mille Launches A New Material In A New Watch

A new model by Richard Mille is always exciting but gets even more impressive when the brand uses it to launch an entirely new material. Grey Cermet, as it is called, is as light as titanium and yet almost as hard as a diamond. It took Richard Mille, working closely together with the IMI Group, years to develop this material.

Why Did the Maya Abandon the Ancient City of Tikal?

In the ninth century A.D., the Maya abandoned the great city of Tikal after hundreds of years of prosperity and expansion. Researchers have long sought to explain how and why the city collapsed, but despite extensive study of the site, unanswered questions remain.

Over 360 Elephants Found Dead From Unknown Causes in Botswana

Over 360 elephants have been found dead across Botswana since the beginning of May, and conservationists have yet to figure out what is causing their deaths.

Yuna – Castaway ft. Tyler, The Creator

Action Bronson – Mongolia ft. Hologram, Meyhem Lauren

KAYTRANADA – The Worst In Me ft. Tinashe

Future & Lil Uzi Vert – That’s It

H.E.R. – Damage

TOBE NWIGWE – EAT

A little bit of soul

This image of the Soul Nebula (IC 1848) combines 21.1 hours of exposures through Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen-III, and Sulfur-II filters. This object resides in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen.

Jellyfish in the ocean of space

Supernova remnant IC 443 has the common name the Jellyfish Nebula, and it lies at the top right of this image. The other, larger, nebula is IC 444. Both objects are in the constellation Gemini the Twins. Terry Hancock from Grand Mesa, Colorado

Seven sisters

The Pleiades (M45) is the most famous star cluster in the sky. It lies 444 light-years away in the constellation Taurus the Bull. The clouds of gas seen in this image are not connected to the stars, but are a dust cloud through which the cluster is passing. Dave Doctor from Las Cruces, New Mexico

Old friend

The Orion Nebula (M42) may be the most photographed deep-sky object of all. It’s a huge emission nebula and star-forming complex. In addition to the glowing hydrogen, however, the object also has regions of both reflection and dark nebulae. James Esch from Lovettsville, Virginia

Boom goes the star

The Cygnus Loop is a huge supernova remnant some 2,500 light-years away. It has many components, and this image shows two of them well. At the top is the Witch’s Broom (NGC 6960), and Pickering’s Triangle (which doesn’t have its own designation) lies down and to the lower left of the Broom. Naresh Singh from Saint Petersburg, Florida

Natural satellite