Smart News

A whale shark off the coast of Australia.

Whale Sharks Have Tiny Teeth on Their Eyeballs

The 'dermal denticles' probably help protect the eyes of these gentle giants, scientists say

The Maya city of Tikal thrived for hundreds of years but was abandoned in the ninth century A.D.

New Research

Why Did the Maya Abandon the Ancient City of Tikal?

New research suggests mercury and toxic algae poisoned the settlement's reservoirs

A virtual version of Mount Vesuvius looms over the exhibition.

Paris Exhibition Recreates Pompeii's Final Hours

Those unable to visit the show in person can access a trove of online resources related to the immersive experience

Without wiggling, a paradise tree snake couldn't glide nearly as far.

New Research

Flying Snakes Need to Wriggle Through the Air to Glide

The paradise tree snake flattens its body and swerves in three dimensions to glide through the canopy

Ducks might be responsible for ferrying fish eggs to new bodies of water, according to new research.

New Research

Fish Eggs Can Survive a Journey Through Both Ends of a Duck

A new study finds some eggs remain viable even after being eaten and pooped out by waterfowl

Venus transited the face of the sun on June 5-6, 2012, captured here in a still of a timelapse from NASA's Space Dynamics Observatory.

Watch This Mesmerizing Time-Lapse of the Sun’s Last Decade

NASA released the hour-long video in honor of the ten-year anniversary of its satellite, the Solar Dynamics Observatory

The York Guildhall, which sits on the banks of the River Ouse in northeastern England, is currently undergoing a major renovation.

Renovations at Historic York Guildhall Reveal Human Remains, Roman Artifacts

Ongoing work at the 15th-century municipal building has yielded an array of archaeological finds

Most large wildlife fatalities caused by car crashes in Maine are deer and moose.

Roadkill Reduced During Lockdowns, but Traffic Is Increasing Again

California, Idaho and Maine saw considerably fewer roadkill deaths in the first few weeks of stay-at-home orders

A jackal in Yarkon Park, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Scientists Propose a New Name for Nature in the Time of COVID-19: The 'Anthropause'

Human travel came to a halt during COVID-19, and scientists argue that this worldwide 'pause' presents a rare opportunity to study our impact on animals

Lightning flashes over Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2014. On October 31, 2018, the longest lightning bolt ever recorded struck in Brazil, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

Record-Breaking Lightning Bolts Spark Excitement

Officials confirmed two 'megaflash' lightning bolts in Brazil and Argentina that struck down previous world records

Between 70 and 80 percent of the individuals interred at the site were children.

Archaeologists Unearth 16th-Century Children's Cemetery in Poland

Some of the deceased were buried with coins in their mouths as payment for Charon, ferryman of the underworld

Researchers used these five replica clay pipes to "smoke" tobacco and other native plants.

Early Residents of the Pacific Northwest Smoked Smooth Sumac

Researchers used a new technique to detect the chemical fingerprints of specific plant species in a 1,400-year-old pipe's residue

This 1846 daguerreotype is likely the oldest surviving photograph of a Māori person.

Newly Discovered Portrait May Be Oldest Known Image of Māori Person

The photo depicts Hemi Pomara, who was kidnapped and "exhibited" by British colonialists in London during the 1840s

Watch Colorful Sunsets on Distant Planets in This NASA Simulation

New models from a NASA scientist show what the sun’s setting might look like on Venus, Uranus and Mars

Facial reconstruction of a Scandinavian hunter-gatherer who was buried with a wooden stake at the base of his skull

Art Meets Science

See the Face of a Man Whose Skull Was Mounted on a Stake 8,000 Years Ago

A forensic artist used 3-D scans of the hunter-gatherer's cranium to envision what he may have looked like in life

A newly discovered species of velvet spider with bold red and white coloration was named after actor Joaquin Phoenix who portrayed the comic book villain the Joker in the 2019 film of the same name. Researchers thought the spider's pattern resembled the Jokers face paint.

'Joker' Spider Named After Joaquin Phoenix

Loureedia phoenixi’s bold red and white abdomen inspired the researchers’ homage

The circular ovens may have been used to bake bricks or pottery.

Roman-Era Structures Found Near Sphinx-Lined Egyptian Avenue

Excavations at Kebbash Road revealed circular ovens, a mud-brick wall and a sandstone wall

More than 500 people guillotined during the French Revolution may have been buried in the walls of this 19th-century chapel.

Remains Discovered in Parisian Chapel May Belong to Guillotined Aristocrats

New research suggests the bodies of nearly 500 nobles beheaded during the Reign of Terror are buried in Chapelle Expiatoire

A painting that imagines what a living Mukupirna nambensis and its surrounding environment would have looked like some 25 million years ago near Lake Pinpa, Australia.

Cool Finds

300-Pound, Wombat-Like Creature Once Roamed Australia

Paleontologists describe a new species of extinct Australian marsupial that is most closely related to modern wombats but was the size of a black bear

A new computer model gives insight into how Europa's ocean formed, and how life could use its chemical energy to survive.

New Research

Heat in Jupiter’s Moon Europa Might Have Made Its Oceans Habitable

An upcoming NASA mission will get a closer look at the ocean moon

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