Plant and animal species that have remained almost unchanged for the past few million years live in the forests, the deserts, the seas and even our own backyards.

As our living ancestors, they give us a view of lost worlds. And because they preserve ancient pieces of genetic code, living relics should be a priority for conservation, says Piotr Naskrecki.

Naskrecki, a photographer and biologist, is the author of Relics: Travels in Nature’s Time Machine, to be published in November. The book catalogs Naskrecki’s travels to areas of the world that act as sanctuaries, harboring life that has r...

1986: The existence of Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program is revealed by a former nuclear-plant technician, whose story is published by The Sunday Times of London.

Israel has never acknowledged possessing nuclear weapons, although most defense experts believe it has been developing nuclear warheads since the 1960s at its Dimona Nuclear Research Center in the Negev Desert. Official Israeli policy is to be deliberately vague on the subject.

There was nothing vague about what Mordechai Vanunu told the Times, however. The former army sergeant became critical of Israeli policies and left the...