For two years in the late 1970s I followed in the footsteps of Carl Linnaeus: I toiled in the field of taxonomy. The small corner of nature's jigsaw puzzle that I tackled was a group of marine sponges ...

Carl Linnaeus is a scientific figure rarely taught about in either history or science courses. Known as the “father of classification”, Linnaeus reformed the systems used to identify and name plants ...

The relevance of taxonomy in our genomic era is greater than ever. Correct naming is crucial for developing new foods and medicines, and for understanding our changing environment. Amazingly, we do ...

Classification is a natural human propensity—we organize our clothes, our kitchen cupboards, and our toys. This applies to the natural world, too, where animals and plants are grouped based on ...

A version of this article appears in the March 9, 1929 issue of Science News. Love our Health & Medicine stories? Our coverage would not be possible without the generous support of subscribers to ...

You say tomato, I say Lycopersicon esculentum. You say potato, I say Solanum tuberosum. But Carl Linnaeus was the real plant buff. Often called the father of classification, Swedish naturalist ...

We are at a critical time and supporting climate journalism is more important than ever. Science News and our parent organization, the Society for Science, need your help to strengthen environmental ...

Founded in 1921, Society for Science & the Public's mission is to advance public understanding and appreciation of scienceamong people of all ages through publications and educational programs. A ...