How did the universe begin? What is Earth's birth date? When did life emerge on our planet, and what did it look like? To tackle these enormous questions, origins researchers search for tiny and elusive clues: microscopic organisms, fragments of rock, and faint whispers of light from the far reaches of space. Often they must venture to some of the world's most inhospitable places to do so.
On our global map, see if you can find where origins researchers have made—and in many cases will continue to make—many of the most important origins-related discoveries of our time. To launch the interactive, click on the image at left.—Susan K. Lewis
