Maris Fessenden

 

Maris Fessenden is a freelance science writer and artist who appreciates small things and wide open spaces.

A Lady-in-Waiting of France strums her instrument on this card from The Courtly Household Cards (Das Hofämterspiel), created in c. 1450.

Lavishly Illustrated Medieval Playing Cards Flouted the Church and Law

Secular and religious officials alike frowned on card playing in Europe's Middle Ages

A beached sperm whale on January 13, in Wangerooge, Germany

At Least 17 Sperm Whales Washed Up on North Sea Shores

The cause of the cetacean tragedy is still a mystery

An engraving showing the Pequot War

Colonial America Depended on the Enslavement of Indigenous People

The role of enslaving Native Americans in early American history is often overlooked

Who wouldn't want to let these adorable critters pass through?

British People Are Building Highways for Hedgehogs Through Their Yards

Hedgehog populations in England have declined since the 1970s due urban and suburban development

Omo hanging with her herd

Rare White Giraffe Survived Her First Year

The 15-month old calf has so far survived possible predation from lions, leopards, hyenas and human poachers

Cu Rua photographed in 2011 during a health check

Beloved Giant Turtle Dies, Leaving Only Three Alive on Earth

The recent death of Cu Rua pushes the Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle to the brink of extinction

An eight-year-old Firethorn "Air Bonsai"

These Levitating Bonsai Will Brighten Your Home With Science

A workshop in Japan created tiny Bonsai plants that float with the help of magnets

Egyptian Museum Employees Face Fines for Botched Repair on King Tut's Mask

An accident knocked the beard off the boy king's distinctive mask, prompting a hasty repair

Listen to J.R.R. Tolkien Read Songs and Poems from 'The Lord of the Rings'

A rare recording captures the famed author's voice

Nellie Bly in a photo dated soon after her return from her trip around the world.

Nellie Bly's Record-Breaking Trip Around the World Was, to Her Surprise, A Race

In 1889, the intrepid journalist under took her voyage, mainly by steamship and train, unknowingly competing against a reporter from a rival publication

A centenarian and her descendants

There Are Now More Americans Over Age 100 and They're Living Longer Than Ever

Scientists are still trying to understand the longevity secrets of those most advanced in age

Icebergs melting in Disko Bay, Greenland

It's Official: 2015 Was the Hottest Year in Over a Century

A strong El Niño helped global temperatures reach new highs

An artist's rendering of Planet Nine, looking back toward the Sun. This depiction is of a gaseous planet, like Uranus and Neptune, with lightning brightening the clouds on the dark side.

Evidence Stacks Up for a Planet Beyond Pluto

A new paper provides the strongest evidence yet for a real Planet X

Fish caught for drying in a village in Bangladesh

Overfishing Has Been Even Worse Than We Thought

Official counts previously overlooked fish as bycatch, small-scale fishing and illegal fishing

The five planets will be visible to the naked eye, but a telescope can add another layer of delight

Don't Miss This Month's Rare Planetary Alignment

Five planets will appear together in the sky—all visible to the naked eye

The 1,500-year-old skeleton of a man and his prosthesis was found in a grave next to medieval church in Hemmaberg, Austria.

1,500-Year-Old Prosthetic Foot Discovered in Austria

The skeleton of a middle-aged man may have been missing a lower limb but in its place researchers found a wooden 'foot'

Testing for allergies

Signs of Food Allergies Might Be in Newborns' Blood

Overactive immune cells could prime the immune system to attack normally harmless molecules found in food

"John Dee Performing an Experiment before Elizabeth I"

A Painting of John Dee, Astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, Contains a Hidden Ring of Skulls

The life and work of John Dee contained a strange mix of science and magic

Henri Matisse's "Woman Sitting in an Armchair," is one of the paintings stolen by Nazis that will be returned to its rightful owner.

Only Five Works From the Gurlitt Art Nest Have Been Confirmed As Art Stolen By Nazis

A task force took two years and nearly $2 million to investigate more than 1,200 pieces found in a Munich apartment

A girl in Vietnam puts flowers on her father’s grave in 1972

Vietnam Turns to DNA to Identify the Remains of Those Lost in the War

Technological advances in DNA analysis will make this massive effort possible

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