Thunk, thunk, thunk. A lone man whacks at a tree. Birds trill in the forest canopy. No one knows the man’s name or what language he speaks. He has no living friends, family, or neighbors. He lives in the Amazon rainforest—alone.

Fighting fire with . . . goats? Yep, that’s what’s happening in southern Portugal. More than 200 brown-and-white, low-tech lawnmowers are munching their way through thick undergrowth—and making a difference in a country plagued by raging summer wildfires.

The mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke is the cornerstone of North Carolina’s Colonial history. The 115 early settlers of the New World vanished in 1590 without a trace except for the word “CROATOAN” carved into a village post. But a new narrative is beginning to gain local interest.

Archaeologists have been digging in the desert for hundreds of years. Now they’re re-examining an area last excavated over 100 years ago—and finding important, never-before-seen relics.

Up, up, and away! Virtual reality and a new piece of clothing are allowing Swiss scientists, engineers, and robotics experts to change the way drones fly. Users who slip into the drone jackets can fly drones—arms outstretched like superheroes if they wish—just by moving their torsos.

Asymmetrical lines. Neon colors. Checkered patterns. So long basic sweatpants and T-shirts. With millions of dollars in publicity and retail sales involved, today’s sports uniforms are making headlines for striking design, eye-popping details, and meaningful messages.

Are bananas going the way of the dodo? Scientists say it’s an actual possibility if something isn’t done about an aggressive disease. It’s called the Panama disease, and back in the 1950s, it wiped out the Gros Michel, the most popular banana species sold and eaten in the United States.  

Sue sells seashells by the seashore. But she won’t sip soda from a plastic straw—at least not in Seattle. The entire city has banned single-use plastic straws and utensils.