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NASA Teacher-in-Space trainee Sharon Christa McAuliffe (right) and backup Barbara R. Morgan practice experiments during a zero-gravity training flight on October 16, 1985.

In Stellar Tribute, Astronauts Teach "Lost Lessons" From Educator Who Died on <em>Challenger</em>

Christa McAuliffe had planned to teach the lessons during her 1986 trip to space. Now, two astronauts will finally carry out the plan

Trove of Rare Stephen King Books Destroyed in Flood

The author said he was ‘horrified’ to hear about the loss

New Research

Does the Moon's Phase Cause Earthquakes?

One researcher offers a succinct answer

Tut and Ankhesenamun

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Could Be Close to Finding the Tomb of King Tut's Wife

After Tut's death, Ankhesenamun might have wed the Pharaoh Ay, and there's a possibility she's buried near him in the Valley of the Monkeys

Close-up image of mural depicting the battle in Phra Ubosot, Wat Suwan Dararam, Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Thailand Drops Charges Against Historian Who Questioned the Facts Around Historic 16th-Century Duel

Sulak Sivaraksa cast doubt on whether the legendary King Naresuan had really defeated an adversary while riding an elephant

Galaxy SPT0615-JD

Cool Finds

Behold Hubble's Best Image of a Distant Galaxy Yet

The galaxy is roughly 13.3 billion light years away, and formed just 500 million years after the universe began

New Research

Astronomers Spy a Black Hole's Double 'Burp'

New observations suggest that black holes cycle between activity and rest

Tracey Crouch, who will oversee issues related to loneliness and isolation in the U.K.

Trending Today

The U.K. Now Has a "Minister for Loneliness." Here's Why It Matters

Tracey Crouch will oversee the government's efforts to tackle "the sad reality of modern life"

Marmots Live Longer When They Are Antisocial

The critters live an average of two years longer when they shirk social interactions

These Billboards Could Be the First to Feature Immersive Virtual Reality Drawings

Tandem billboards on Sunset Boulevard play host to a fascinating new public art installation

2017 Was Another Really Hot Year (Even Without El Niño)

Last year joins list of top three hottest ever recorded, according to multiple new reports

Cool Finds

World's Largest Underwater Cave System Discovered in Mexico

The 215-mile sunken freshwater labyrinth is a trove of ancient Maya artifacts

Newborn saiga calf nestling in the arms of a scientist of the joint health monitoring team.

Over 200,000 Endangered Antelope Suddenly Die Thanks to ... Weird Weather?

A change in humidity seems to have triggered bacteria that led to widespread death of the creatures

Meteor Explodes With a Brilliant Flash Over Michigan

The blast caused shook the ground and likely scattered small hunks of space rock in the region

The Next Pandemic

Are Rats Innocent of Spreading the Black Plague?

Human pests like fleas and lice may be responsible for spreading the pandemic that devastated Medieval Europe

New Research

Why Holding in a Sneeze Can Be Dangerous

A 34-year-old man squeezed while holding nose closed, leading to a tear in his throat and a stay in the hospital

The Hill of Montmartre with Stone Quarry (1886)

Newly Identified Vincent van Gogh Drawings Go on Display

The two works were drawn during the artist’s formative years in Paris

A "mobile multifonction" or "mobile" in action.

France Says ‘Au Revoir’ to the Word ‘Smartphone’

Hoping to prevent English tech vocabulary from entering the French language, officials have suggested ‘mobile multifunction’ as an alternative

The 910-carat diamond discovered in Lesotho

Cool Finds

World's Fifth-Largest Diamond Found in Lesotho

The 910-carat gem is a D-color, type-IIa stone, meaning it is completely colorless and has no visible impurities

Excerpt from Folio 5 recto from the Book of Deer.

Possible Remains of ‘Lost’ Monastery Discovered in Scotland

The elusive monastery is associated with the Book of Deer, which contains the oldest-surviving examples of Scottish Gaelic writing

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