Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. From the streets of Moscow to the stars: Laika, the soviet ...

The story of Laika, the first dog in space, has been shrouded in legend, misinformation, and propaganda since she first reached Earth’s orbit in 1957. This article digs into what really happened to ...

In March, I visited the Lowell Observatory — the astronomical research site where Pluto was first discovered — in Flagstaff, Arizona. I stood in line to squint through telescopes at Jupiter and the ...

In the late 1950s, Moscow’s streets were full of stray dogs that adapted to freezing nights and scarce food. One small mixed‑breed stood out to Soviet researchers for her calm nature and size. She was ...

Black-and-white photographs shared by some social media users are said to show Laika, a 13-pound stray from Moscow who became the first dog in space after being launched into low orbit aboard Sputnik ...