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Stories from Alex Fox

New research claims to have found the earliest evidence of a person being killed by meteorite. This photo depicts a meteorite entering Earth's atmosphere during the Leonid meteor shower in November 2002.

Archivists Find the Oldest Record of Human Death by Meteorite

The 1888 historical account is likely the first ever confirmed case of a human being struck dead by an interstellar interloper

Philip Kahn, pictured on his 100th birthday with his grandson, Warren Zysman, and great-grandson

One Hundred Years After Influenza Killed His Twin Brother, WWII Veteran Dies of COVID-19

In the days before his death, the New York man spoke often of his lost twin and the lessons humanity seemed not to have learned

This fresco by Jacopo Ripanda depicts Hannibal crossing the Alps in 218 B.C. New research claims to have located the site of the general's first major victory in Spain.

The Ancient Battlefield That Launched the Legend of Hannibal

Two years before the Carthaginian general crossed the Alps, he won a decisive victory at the Battle of the Tagus

An artist's rendering of two early hominins hunting waterfowl on the Schöningen lakeshore with throwing sticks

300,000-Year-Old Stick Suggests Human Ancestors Were Skilled Hunters

The ancient throwing stick may have been used by Neanderthals or an even earlier hominin

Some rough-skinned newts host bacteria on their skin that produce the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin to keep predators at bay.

Toxic Newts Use Bacteria to Become Deadly Prey

Scientists discover neurotoxin-producing bacteria living on the skin of rough-skinned newts

An artist's illustration depicting the collision of two 125-mile-wide asteroids orbiting the star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away.

‘Disappearing’ Exoplanet Might Not Have Been a Planet After All

Study suggests alleged exoplanet may have been a cloud of asteroid debris

Researchers have discovered an unexpected way that larger bits of plastic are transformed into microplastics in the sea: lobsters. (The study involved Norway lobsters, pictured here.)

Norway Lobsters Crush Ocean Plastic Into Even Smaller Pieces—and That’s Bad

The crustaceans’ guts pulverize plastics into tiny bits that can be consumed by even smaller creatures at the base of the ocean food chain

The National Museum of Asian Art's Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, from the Alice S. Kandell Collection

Unwind With These Free, Museum-Led Meditation and Mindfulness Sessions

The Rubin Museum of Art and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art offer an array of relaxing experiences

Researchers staged fights using recreated Bronze Age weapons to better understand how they might have been used in ancient fighting.

Scientists Stage Sword Fights to Study Bronze Age Warfare

Research suggests bronze blades, thought by some to be too fragile for combat, were deadly weapons across ancient Europe

The new Museum Hotel Antakya in Turkey "floats" above ancient ruins.

New Hotel in Turkey ‘Floats’ Above Ancient Ruins

Closed due to COVID-19, the Museum Hotel Antakya looks forward to welcoming guests with its blend of luxury and history once restrictions are lifted

A male lemur with clearly visible scent glands on its wrists.

For Male Lemurs, Love Stinks—and Scientists Now Know Why

A newly identified trio of chemicals may help the primates find a mate

The unique scent of rain may actually be a chemical signal used by bacteria to attract this tiny arthropod, called a springtail.

How Rain Evolved Its Distinct Scent—and Why Animals and Humans Love It

New research reveals the ancient symbiotic relationship behind geosmin, the chemical compound responsible for the scent of fresh rain

Farm workers loading apples onto a truck in an orchard, circa 1965.

Ten Apple Varieties Once Thought Extinct Rediscovered in Pacific Northwest

The “lost” apples will help restore genetic, culinary diversity to a crop North America once produced in astonishing variety

MLB employees, including players, executives and stadium workers, are participating voluntarily and their results will be anonymous—so this research will not expedite the return of baseball season.

Major League Baseball Players Pitch In for a Major COVID-19 Study

Major League Baseball players and team employees to participate in 10,000-person COVID-19 study

"[W]e again have the collective opportunity to reduce usage of scarce items—both for the community at large and particularly for those on the frontline of this crisis," says curator Lora Vogt.

Cook These Quarantine-Friendly World War I Recipes

An online exhibition from the National WWI Museum and Memorial features recipes detailed in 1918 cookbook

Artist's conception of SN2016aps, a supernova that was brighter and released more energy than any other ever observed by astronomers.

Astronomers Spy Brightest Supernova Ever Seen

A star 100-times more massive than the sun exploded with 10-times more energy than a normal-sized supernova

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau in Lampung erupted on April 10, 2020 sending a column of ash up to 1,640 feet high.

Indonesian Volcano ‘Anak Krakatau’ Fired Lava and Ash Into the Sky Last Weekend

This eruption is the longest since 2018 when the volcano caused a deadly tsunami

MoMA visitors walk around a sculpture by Barnett Newman titled Broken Obelisk.

The Museum of Modern Art Now Offers Free Online Classes

The nine classes span contemporary art, fashion and photography

A team of researchers has discovered carefully buried Iron Age chicken and hare bones that show no signs of butchery.

Hares and Chickens Were Revered as Gods—Not Food—in Ancient Britain

New research indicates that Iron Age Britons venerated brown hares and chickens long before modern Easter celebrations

An aerial view of extremely light traffic on Los Angeles' 10 and 110 freeway interchange. California researchers note steep decrease in seismic noise in recent weeks as people remain at home.

With Many Countries Under Shelter-in-Place Orders, the World Shakes a Little Less

Geoscientists noticed the normal rumbles of human activity picked up by their instruments have died down as much of the world ground to a halt

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