Smart News

A miniature version of the Hampton Court hedge maze is one of the most complicated mazes the amoebas solved.

New Research

A Mini Version of Britain's Royal Hedge Maze Is No Match for Amoebas

The study demonstrates how cells navigate the human body to provide immunity or carry messages

The Große Stammbuch contains 100 illustrations dated to between 1596 and 1647. This two-page spread depicts flowers, insects and shells.

Why 'Friendship Books' Were the 17th-Century Version of Facebook

Dozens of 17th-century dignitaries signed a 227-page manuscript recently acquired by a German library

Fragment of a 1,400-year-old chalice found near Hadrian's Wall in northern England

Cool Finds

Britain's Oldest Example of Christian Graffiti Found Near Hadrian's Wall

Researchers at Vindolanda unearthed a 1,400-year-old lead chalice covered in religious symbols

An artist's rendering of the 250-million-year-old animal Lystrosaurus in a hibernation-like state.

Hibernation May Be a 250-Million-Year-Old Survival Trick

Paleontologists studying this strange creature’s tusks say they’ve found evidence the animal slowed its metabolism during hard times

Head of a Bearded Man is believed to have been painted by a member of Dutch master Rembrandt's studio. Further research is necessary to determine if the work was painted by the artist himself.

Art Meets Science

Painting Deemed Fake, Consigned to Storage May Be Genuine Rembrandt

New analysis confirms the famed Dutch painter’s studio—and perhaps even the artist himself—created "Head of a Bearded Man"

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, pictured in 2012

A Cable Snapped, and the Arecibo Observatory Went Dark. Here’s Why That Matters

An accident in the middle of the night damaged one of the world’s most important observatories—and scientists still don’t know what caused it

This embryonic sauropod perished after about four-fifths of its development in an egg.

New Research

Why This 'Unicorn Baby Dinosaur' Is the 'Cutest,' 'Weirdest' Ever

The tiny sauropod had a horn on its snout and forward-facing eyes, unlike its adult counterparts

The vast trench dug by treasure hunters is visible at the center of this image.

Treasure Hunters Destroy 2,000-Year-Old Heritage Site in Sudan

Illegal gold diggers dug an enormous trench at Jabal Maragha in the eastern Sahara Desert

University of Arizona leaders were able to prevent a potential Covid-19 outbreak by testing wastewater.

University of Arizona Stops a Covid-19 Outbreak by Following the Feces

After wastewater monitoring detected the virus in a dorm’s sewage, the school discovered and quarantined two asymptomatic infections

This global map indicates the temperature differences between  now and preindustrial times, where dark blue translates to cooler temperatures.

Scientists Project Precisely How Cold the Last Ice Age Was

Researchers used models and data from fossilized plankton to determine the global average temperature at the time

Speaking with BBC News, Frans Hals specialist Anna Tummers described the painting as a "wonderful example of his loose painting style. ... It was very playful, daring and loose."

Thieves Steal 17th-Century Masterpiece for Third Time in 32 Years

Frans Hals' "Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer" was previously purloined in 1988 and 2011

Dark skies specialist Stephen Hummel of the University of Texas at Austin captured this rare formation at the McDonald Observatory.

How to Spot Elusive 'Jellyfish Sprites' Dancing in the Sky During a Thunderstorm

The large red flashes of light only last for milliseconds

Critics argue that moving the bust does little to address more commonly cited complaints, including the repatriation of looted artifacts and a need to diversify curatorial staff.

British Museum Moves Bust of Founder, Who Profited From Slavery

The London institution, which reopened this week, is reckoning with its colonialist history in the wake of global protests against racism

A visitor at Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument in Washington, D.C.

100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box

How the National Park Foundation Is Highlighting Women's History

The organization will allocate $460,000 toward projects at 23 parks across the country

The mushroom cloud from Tsar Bomba was 42 miles high, about seven times the height of Mount Everest

Russia Declassifies Video From 1961 of Largest Hydrogen Bomb Ever Detonated

The blast was over 3,000 times bigger than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima

Many of the monkeys died young, perhaps as a result of their rapid introduction to a drastically different environment.

Cool Finds

Monkeys Found Buried in 2,000-Year-Old Egyptian Pet Cemetery

The primates—likely imported from India to the then-Roman province—were laid to rest with care

Researchers found that painting one blade black was enough to encourage the birds to alter their flight path.

New Research

Painting Wind Turbine Blades Black Help Birds Avoid Deadly Collisions

A recent study found the simple intervention reduced bird mortality by 72 percent

An illustration of the poliovirus, which causes polio

Wild Polio Eradicated in 47 African Countries

Experts announced Tuesday that the disease, which can cause paralysis and death in young children, has been virtually eliminated from the continent

The 63 statues selected depict their subjects in eight different situations, including carrying a baby, playing music, preparing for combat and undergoing torture.

New Research

What Ancient Sculptures Reveal About Universal Facial Expressions

New research suggests displays of emotion may transcend time and culture

A photo from the statue's unveiling in Central Park on Wednesday, August 26

100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box

Why the First Monument of Real Women in Central Park Matters—and Why It's Controversial

Today, New York City welcomed a public artwork honoring three suffragists. But some scholars argue that the statue obscures more than it celebrates

loading icon