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Cool Finds

Paper Airplanes Flew Decades Before Real Ones Did

Kids have been folding paper so it flies since at least the mid-19th century

Blood Falls seeps from the end of the Taylor Glacier into Lake Bonney.

New Research

Scientists Find Life in Antarctica’s Blood Red Falls

The underground microbes could help scientists detect life on other planets.

An artist's interpretation of the Gaia spacecraft -- mistaken for a small moon this week

Cool Finds

The Time a Space Observatory Was Mistaken for a Second Moon

For 13 hours, the space observatory Gaia was misidentified as a natural satellite orbiting Earth

Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine and Empress Theodora could almost switch robes in this print

Cool Finds

Gender-Neutral Clothes Are Trendy, But Not New — Humans Dressed Similarly for Centuries

Fashion with distinct looks for men and women is a relatively recent, Western-centric phenomenon

This Interactive Map Shows Nepal Before and After the Earthquake

New satellite map shows devastation of Nepal from space

Trending Today

Laptops of the Future May Not Have Space Bars

A recent Google patent points to a time when trackpads replace the trusty key

Knights battling during a Medieval fighting championship on January 22, 2015 in Israel.

Cool Finds

Friday Knight Fights: Russian MMA Fighters Go Medieval

The duels are so popular with the fans that the company is actively searching for more knights to fill out its ranks

A male Gentoo penguin brings stones to a female with chicks

Cool Finds

Penguins May Use Poop to Melt Snow From Breeding Sites Before They Get it On

The observation comes from analyzing thousands of images captured by remote cameras trained on penguin colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula

Brewers at work making beer

Cool Finds

Brewmasters Now Using DNA Techniques to Spot Bad Batches

Instead of waiting for bacteria to grow, a quick genetic test can identify problem brews

New Research

Harnessing the Power of Peer Pressure Could Help Reduce Traffic

People are more likely to carpool if they think their peers are doing it too

Cool Finds

Culinary Diplomacy: Why Governments Are Starting Food Trends

Promoting your country's food is becoming a trendy tactic for nations looking to raise their profile (and tourist revenue)

Trending Today

Vatican Science Academy Urges Government Action on Climate Change to Protect Poor

Pope Francis will issue proclamation in wake of recent summit

Cool Finds

How "Operation Mummy’s Curse" is Helping Fight Terrorism

Selling illicit relics is the third most profitable wing of the black market, after drugs and weapons

This 133-foot long wooden steamer, the Rising Sun, is in 6 to 12 feet of water just north of Pyramid Point, where she stranded on October 29, 1917. All 32 people on board were saved.

Cool Finds

In 2015, Lake Michigan Was So Clear Its Shipwrecks Were Visible From the Air

A Coast Guard patrol spotted the wrecks in shallow waters that are only clear after the lake's ice melts and before summer sediment swirls and algae blooms

Cool Finds

Eau de Death: Perfumer Develops Scents Based on Dead Loved Ones

A French perfumer is attempting to harness the emotional power of scent

The rubble of Dharahara Tower, which was once the tallest building in Nepal.

Trending Today

Nepal Struggles With the Loss of Lives, Cultural Treasures After Earthquake

Historic sites were damaged and destroyed in the 7.8 quake

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) with prey, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

New Research

Hawk Found in Vancouver “Wins” Most Polluted Bird in the World Award

The "flameproof" bird's liver was full of flame retardant chemicals

An unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) / drone used for aerial surveillance is flying in the air.

Trending Today

SOS! The FAA Gives the Go-Ahead for Emergency Rescue Company to Use Drones

A Maine-based search and rescue company is the first of its kind to win FAA approval to experiment with drones

A giant rice rat specimen from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France

New Research

How Settlers Wiped Out the Caribbean’s Rodents of Unusual Size

The eradication of rice rats in the Lesser Antilles was part of a massive mammal extinction event

The Hubble Space Telescope

Trending Today

The Hubble Space Telescope Has Been In Space for 25 Years, Here's What it Has Seen

The telescope has sent back some real beauties

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