Smart News

An 18th-century engraving depicting cross sections of a ship used to transport enslaved people from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean

New Research Reveals the Transatlantic Slave Trade's Genetic Legacy

Scientists investigated whether genetic data collected from 50,000 volunteers lined up with historical shipping manifests

A 14,000-year-old coprolite, a dried out piece of human feces

14,000-Year-Old Fossilized Poop Among Oldest Traces of Humans in North America

Researchers recently confirmed that the ancient dung was indeed produced by humans, and not by animals

A white tip reef shark swims above the reef near the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia in 2018

Reef Sharks Are in Serious Danger of Extinction

Researchers found that the sharks are 'functionally extinct' in 20 percent of coral reefs surveyed

A fire at Nantes Cathedral destroyed stained-glass windows and a 17th-century organ.

Arsonist Confesses to Starting Nantes Cathedral Fire

The July 18 blaze, which inflicted less damage than the devastating April 2019 inferno at Notre-Dame, destroyed the French church's organ, stained glass

Mathematically speaking, the honeycombs grow like crystals.

New Research

Scientists Crack the Mathematical Mystery of Stingless Bees' Spiral Honeycombs

The waxy architectural wonders seem to grow like crystals

New research posits that Johannes Vermeer painted View of Delft in September 1659 or 1658.

Art Meets Science

Astronomy Offers Fresh Look at Vermeer's 'View of Delft'

Analysis of sunlight and shadows suggests the Dutch masterpiece portrays the city around 8 a.m. in early September 1659 or 1658

Olivia de Havilland's 1943 legal victory against Warner Bros. contributed to the downfall of the Hollywood studio system.

Olivia de Havilland, Star of Hollywood's Golden Age, Dies at 104

The actress is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in "Gone With the Wind"

Police discovered a total of 13 Roman amphorae and an 18th-century anchor inside a frozen seafood shop in Alicante, Spain.

Cool Finds

Police Confiscate Roman Amphorae Found Stashed in Spanish Seafood Shop

The store owner's son allegedly discovered the 13 clay vessels on fishing trips and brought them back as decorations

The Crocodylus checchiai skull analyzed in the new paper came from an approximately 10-foot-long reptile.

New Research

New Evidence Suggests Ancient Crocodiles Swam From Africa to America

The prehistoric reptiles would have gotten some help from ocean currents

Jean-Michel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in 1983

Virtual Travel

See Jean-Michel Basquiat Masterpieces Up Close in This Online Exhibition

The virtual experience spotlights a 2019 show that included around 70 works by the artist

A terrier fitted with GPS remote tracking device and camera

How Do Dogs Find Their Way Home? They Might Sense Earth's Magnetic Field

Our canine companions aren't the only animals that may be capable of magnetoreception

Bruno Dey, a former SS watchman at the Stutthof concentration camp, hides his face behind a folder as he arrives for a hearing in his trial on July 23.

Former Nazi Concentration Camp Guard Convicted as Accessory in 5,230 Murders

Defendant Bruce Dey, now 93, oversaw prisoners at Stutthof in Poland from August 1944 to April 1945

Release the Kraken!

The Legend, the History and the Science Behind Seattle's New Hockey Team Name

NHL fans, meet the Seattle Kraken—named for a mythical beast that may have been inspired by the very real giant squid

Theodore Roosevelt stands with naturalist John Muir on Glacier Point, above Yosemite Valley, California, USA.

Sierra Club Grapples With Founder John Muir’s Racism

The organization calls out Muir’s racist statements and pledges to diversify leadership and deepen environmental justice initiatives

Chicago-based publisher Haymarket Books will launch the reimagined London tube map next International Women’s Day, March 8, 2021.

A New London Tube Map Will Highlight Women and Nonbinary People

Co-organizers Emma Watson and Reni Eddo-Lodge drew inspiration from a 2016 project centered on the New York City subway

Curators at the Science and Industry Museum are unsure what purpose this object, crudely cast with a copper-based alloy, served.

Can You Help Identify This Museum's Mystery Artifacts?

A Manchester-based science institution has a backlog of unusual objects in need of classification

Artifacts found at the site include jewelry from Asia (left) and an inscribed weight possibly imported from Ireland.

Cool Finds

Archaeology Student Finds Viking Trading Post in Norway

Artifacts unearthed at the site include jewelry, coins and pieces of silver

Large homes in Maine, Wisconsin and Vermont, like this one, were found to have the largest carbon footprints due to use of heat in cold winters.

Rich Americans’ Homes Have 25% Larger Carbon Footprints Than Low-Income Households

The researchers calculated the carbon emissions of 93 million U.S. homes during the year 2015 and analyzed the results by income and location

Effective immediately, the franchise will be known as the "Washington Football Team."

After Retiring Its Racist Name, D.C. Football Team Announces Temporary Moniker

A new title will be announced once trademark issues are resolved

An MTA worker in New York sprays disinfectant in a subway car in May.

Will Mass Transit Recover From the Pandemic?

Financial losses from low ridership and unexpectedly low sales tax revenue threaten the future of public transportation

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