Smart News

James Earl Jones famously lent his deep, sonorous voice to Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise and Mufasa in The Lion King.

Darth Vader Didn't Come Alive Until James Earl Jones Gave Him a Voice

The prolific American actor, who died on September 9, recorded his dialogue for the first "Star Wars" film in less than three hours

Mariska Hargitay on the "Law & Order: SVU" set in Midtown Manhattan on August 5, 2024

The National Museum of American History Collects Mariska Hargitay's Costume From 'Law & Order: SVU'

The Smithsonian museum accepted a detective suit and badge worn by the actress' character, Olivia Benson, on the long-running procedural

Impression, Sunrise, Claude Monet, 1872

The Painting That Inspired the Term 'Impressionism' Debuts in America

Monet's "Impression, Sunrise" anchors an exhibition commemorating the birth of the artistic movement 150 years ago

Boeing Starliner's capsule Calypso deploys parachutes during its descent toward Earth late at night on September 6.

Boeing's Starliner Lands Successfully, but Without Its Astronauts on Board

The troubled spacecraft conducted a “bull's-eye landing,” but NASA officials still say they made the right decision to leave its astronauts on the ISS out of an abundance of caution

This necklace was likely stolen from a Turkish archaeological site in 1976.

Boston Museum Returns Looted 2,700-Year-Old Necklace to Turkey

The gold and carnelian artifact is nearly identical to other jewelry found at an archaeological site in western Turkey

The spacecraft offered a clear view of Mercury's south pole while completing its fourth of six flybys.

See New Detailed Photos of Mercury From a Spacecraft's Closest Flyby Yet

BepiColombo, a joint European-Japanese mission, completed its fourth close pass of the innermost planet last week, and it will enter Mercury’s orbit in 2026 to learn more about its mysteries

The coins were minted between 94 B.C.E. and 74 B.C.E.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Rare Trove of Silver Coins on Mediterranean Island

The 27 Roman denarii found on the island of Pantelleria date back more than 2,000 years

When earthquakes squeeze quartz crystals, the mineral generates electricity that attracts gold particles.

How Large Gold Nuggets Form in Quartz Crystals During Earthquakes

Quartz, which can generate electricity, attracts large chunks of gold when stressed and squeezed by seismic shaking, according to a new study

Masada is now one of Israel's most-visited tourist attractions.

New Research

The Roman Siege of Masada May Have Lasted Weeks, Not Years

New research suggests that the Romans defeated the Jewish rebels at Masada much more quickly than scholars previously assumed

Pieces of the Arch of Constantine came loose during a thunderstorm on September 3.

Rome's Ancient Arch of Constantine Has Been Struck by Lightning

A fierce thunderstorm dislodged marble fragments of the 1,700-year-old monument

Healthy little brown bats in Mt. Aeolus cave in Vermont in 2012

The Surprising Link Between Bats Dying and Human Infant Mortality

A new study finds that when bats in U.S. counties were decimated by the deadly white-nose syndrome, human deaths followed closely behind

Portrait of a Girl was found inside a private estate in Camden, Maine.

Cool Finds

Painting Attributed to Rembrandt Found Tucked Away Inside an Attic in Maine

An auctioneer discovered "Portrait of a Girl," which just sold for $1.4 million, during a standard "house call" to an estate

The remains of a house that was once submerged in the Mornos artificial lake in Greece, along with several other structures, have re-appeared after drought caused the water level to drop.

Drought Reveals a Sunken Village in Greece as a Reservoir Dries Up

After the country's hottest June and July on record, a shrinking artificial lake has uncovered ruins of a school and other buildings that were submerged in the 1970s

Divers observed the HMS Hawke's intact guns at the bottom of the North Sea.

Divers Discover Sunken Warship Torpedoed by Germany in World War I

A German U-boat sank the HMS "Hawke" off the coast of Scotland in the early days of the war

A mother manatee and her calf in Florida's Crystal River amid eelgrass, which is crucial for supporting the large mammals.

See 13 Captivating Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

The highly commended shots provide a preview of the 60th annual competition, which spotlights astounding animal behaviors and the conservation issues they face

These colorful rings could become a permanent fixture of the Eiffel Tower.

The Paris Olympics

Paris Mayor Wants to Keep the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower

Critics worry that the symbol will tarnish the iconic structure's historic character

Plastic pollution in Madagascar

Humans Pollute the Environment With 57 Million Tons of Plastic Each Year, Study Suggests

Scientists used A.I. to model local waste management in 50,000 municipalities worldwide and say the results suggest a need to improve access to waste collection systems

Phoenix, Arizona, has experienced a record 100 days in a row over 100 degrees Fahrenheit as of Tuesday. Forecasters say no relief is in sight.

Phoenix Shatters Heat Record With 100 Consecutive Days Above 100 Degrees

Forecasts show no relief from the extreme heat over the next few weeks, which promises to extend the streak far beyond the previous high of 76 days set in 1993

The famous Casbah Coffee Club was located in the cellar of a Liverpool home where Pete Best, the Beatles’ original drummer, once lived.

You Can Stay at the Club Where the Beatles Played Some of Their Earliest Gigs

One-time Beatle Pete Best and his brother have turned the legendary Casbah Coffee Club into an Airbnb

Jupiter's moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system and is even wider than the planet Mercury.

An Ancient Asteroid Smashed Into Jupiter's Moon Ganymede and Tipped It Over, Study Finds

The cataclysmic impactor was 20 times the size of the rock that wiped out the dinosaurs on Earth

Page 3 of 980