Last week I began this discussion of Civil War infrastructure in Arkansas with a look at roads, railroads, bridges, and manufacturing of war material. The story continues with a look at telegraphy, ...

In the early 19th century, trans-Atlantic diplomacy, however urgent, was constrained by one thing: the speed of sailing ships. The average passage took at least a month. This could lead to vexing ...

Scientific American is part of Springer Nature, which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications (many of them can be found at www ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...