The night atomic bombs fell on North Carolina

Plus: Brainless beauties; the truth about a mythical beast; life in a modern commune  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

LIFE IN A MODERN COMMUNE VIEW ONLINE

LIFE IN A MODERN COMMUNE

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Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALBUM The monstrous Minotaur isn't all myth Deep inside the Labyrinth on the island of Crete lived a Minotaur: a monster half man, half bull, imprisoned there by his stepfather, King Minos of Crete. He dined on human flesh until the Athenian hero Theseus slew the beast. It may be a myth—but archaeologists have found that it has roots in real events in the Bronze Age. SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

PHOTOGRAPH BY BETTMANN ARCHIVE, GETTY Remembering the night two atomic bombs fell—on North Carolina Sixty years ago, at the height of the Cold War, a B-52 bomber disintegrated over a small Southern town. "The grass was burning," says Billy Reeves, who was 17 at the time. "Big Daddy's Road over there was melting. My mother was praying. She thought it was the End of Times." WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID LIITTSCHWAGER The fascinating world of the brainless, boneless—and sometimes immortal—jellyfish They aren't actually fish. They lack not just brains, but also blood and bones. They can produce offspring both sexually and asexually. Most astonishing of all, some jellies seem able to reproduce from beyond the grave—and some can even reverse the aging process. SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Jellyfish are only doing what they've been doing generation after generation for hundreds of millions of years—just pulsing along, silently, brainlessly, and, seen in the right light, gorgeously. —ELIZABETH KOLBERT, writer From: The fascinating world of the brainless, boneless—and sometimes immortal—jellyfish

PHOTOGRAPH BY SARAH RICE An intimate look inside a modern American commune "I was particularly interested in communities that are formed of people who have made drastic decisions to leave society as we know it," says photographer Sarah Rice, who was first drawn to documenting this southeastern commune back in 2011. What began as a two-week photo essay became a six-year project that intimately captures the rawness of rustic living. SEE THE PHOTOS

PHOTOGRAPH BY MAHMOUD ZAYAT, AFP/GETTY What happened to the Bible's Canaanites? Here's what DNA tells us. They are best known as the people who lived "in a land flowing with milk and honey: until they were vanquished by the ancient Israelites and disappeared from history. But a recent report reveals that the genetic heritage of the Canaanites lives on. THEIR DESCENDANTS

PHOTOGRAPH BY WILSON BENTLEY The very first photos of snowflakes Published in 1923, these vintage images highlight the beauty and mystery of snow crystals. "Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others," said the photographer. SEE A GALLERY OF IMAGES

OTHER GREAT READS Has the mystery of the Zodiac Killer been solved, again? (Los Angeles Magazine)  ›› Rod McKuen was the bestselling poet in American history. What happened? (Slate)  ››

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