The Science of Saving the Declaration of Independence

(via Popular Mechanics) Since 1776, the paper the Declaration of Independenceis on has had a fairly rough time. A forensic analysis of the document shows some rough handling, damaging displays, and even a mysterious handprint. Understanding why it looks the way that it does — much more faded and battered than the U.S. Constitution or The Bill of Rights — is a romp through the history of printing, preservation, and patriotism.