This month's Rocks Box is pyrite, also called fool's gold. But this fool's gold might not be so foolish, since we can use it to get all kinds of other minerals we really need, and it may be a key to getting real gold after all.

This week on SciShow News, toxic waste from an abandoned mine turned a river yellow, and new research shows that threatened fruit flies may have more diverse offspring.

This week on SciShow News, toxic waste from an abandoned mine turned a river yellow, and new research shows that threatened fruit flies may have more diverse offspring.

Tuna are ocean athletes -- fast, far-ranging predators whose habits we're just beginning to understand. Marine biologist Barbara Block fits tuna with tracking tags (complete with transponders) that record unprecedented amounts of data...

The dot-com boom and bust is often compared to the Gold Rush. But Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos says it's more like the early days of the electric industry.

In 1903, US President Theodore Roosevelt took a camping trip in California's Yosemite Valley with conservationist John Muir. Roosevelt famously loved the outdoors, but Muir had invited him for more than just camping: Yosemite was in...

In the 19th century, the California gold rush brought thousands of settlers to America's west coast. But finding gold may have been easier than transporting it back east. The only hope for avoiding a grueling six month wagon journey was...

In this video Paul Andersen explains how mining is used to extract valuable minerals from the Earth's crust. Surface and subsurface mining are used to extract ore which is then processed. A discussion of ecosystem impacts and...

In the 1850s, gold was discovered in Australia, setting off a wave of immigration, opportunity, and dramatic change. People from around the world rushed to the goldfields, hoping to strike it rich. The gold rush helped transform...

Learn more about the gold strike in California and the gold rush that followed. Learn about the prospectors ("49ers") who traveled to California from all over the world to try and strike it rich.

Howcast - Learn how to make a Gold Rush cocktail from the experts at NYC's Rye House in this Howcast video.

Discover the story of the California Gold Rush—when thousands of people rushed west in search of gold and a better life. This easy-to-understand video explains how it all started, what life was like for miners, and how the Gold Rush...

In the 1800s, as the United States expanded, thousands travelled well-worn trails on foot and horseback in search of land and opportunity, often at the expense of Indigenous Peoples.

The mid-1800s saw diverse groups moving into the American interior. While this fueled U.S. growth, it also displaced Indigenous peoples, whose struggles continue today.

The Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, revolutionized coast-to-coast travel in the United States. But this progress came at a significant cost to Indigenous Peoples, impacting their lands and way of life.

Today, the United States is home to more than 330 million people. In this video, learn about how the population has expanded and changed over time.

California is a huge state! With almost 40 million people, it's currently larger than the other 10 western states combined. This is due to a wide range of reasons that date all the way back to when California was a remote colony of the...

Learn more about the gold strike in California and the gold rush that followed. Learn about the prospectors ("49ers") who traveled to California from all over the world to try and strike it rich.

Discover how the California Gold Rush reshaped the United States, from the rise of the Transcontinental Railroad to the lasting effects on Native and Chinese communities. Learn how the Gold Rush set the stage for California's...

Discover how the California Gold Rush faded as the gold dried up and mining became industrialized. Learn about the rise of hydraulic mining, the environmental damage it caused, and the shift from dreams of riches to harsh labor. See...

Learn how the California Gold Rush transformed the region while revealing deep racial injustices. Explore the violent displacement of Native Americans, the impact of the Foreign Miners' Tax on Chinese and Hispanic miners, and how white...

This video explores the Treaty of Fort Laramie, signed in 1868 between the U.S. government and the Sioux and Arapaho peoples, and its impact on Indigenous communities. It discusses the challenges of adapting to reservation life, broken...

Clara Brown made history as a founding settler of Central City Colorado. After gaining her freedom from slavery, she became a philanthropic force for good.

Dr. Forrester explains how Alaska and Hawaii became our 49th and 50th states, and how our newest states influenced the development of the Western Region.