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Spanish settlers knocked down all but the foundations of the Temple of the Sun, then built a church atop the Inca walls.

New Research

Researchers Have Found an Inca Tunnel Beneath the Peruvian City of Cusco

The dug-out passages may follow the exact path of the Inca capital’s aboveground roads

President Donald Trump holds up an executive order. He signed dozens of executive orders on his first day in office, undoing many of his predecessor’s policies.

President Trump Orders the U.S. to Exit the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement on His First Day in Office

The actions will take effect in a year, reinstating withdrawals he had set in motion during his first term

A new study on "contagious urination" only looked at captive chimpanzees, but researchers suspect the phenomenon may also exist in the wild.

For Chimpanzees, Peeing May Be Contagious—Just Like Yawning Is for Humans, Study Finds

Scientists suggest captive chimpanzees engage in ‘socially contagious urination’—that is, when one primate starts peeing, others quickly follow suit

The two sheets of yellowed paper contain three typewritten drafts of the iconic song.

Bob Dylan’s Drafts of ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ Lyrics Sell for $508,000 at Auction

The rare papers were part of a larger collection from rock journalist Al Aronowitz, a close friend of Dylan’s in the 1960s

The Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded the highest annual jump in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since its records began in 1958.

Hawaiian Observatory Clocks Highest Annual Jump in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Since Its Records Began 67 Years Ago

The change measured by the Mauna Loa Observatory was likely driven by wildfires and continued burning of fossil fuels, scientists say

An illustration of Prototaxites in the early Devonian landscape, roughly 400 million years ago.

Giant, Mysterious Spires Ruled the Earth Long Before Trees Did. What Exactly Are These Odd-Looking Fossils?

For more than 150 years, scientists have debated whether Prototaxites—which stood roughly 24 feet tall and 3 feet wide—were an early lichen or fungus, like a “giant mushroom”

The guillotine became France’s official method of capital punishment in spring 1792.

On This Day in History

On This Day in 1793, Revolutionaries Executed the King of France by Guillotine, a Deadly Machine They Saw as a Symbol of Equality

Supporters of the French Revolution killed Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, with the same apparatus used to execute common criminals

Toy Story was the first full-length feature film to be produced entirely with computer animation.  

On This Day in History

On This Day in 1993, Production Began on This Groundbreaking Movie That Transformed Hollywood Forever

With “Toy Story,” computer animation began its rise to dominance

A 1943 ban prohibited bakeries from selling ready-sliced bread, among other directives regarding the baked good’s manufacture and sale.

On This Day in History

The Ridiculous Reason Why the U.S. Enacted a Wartime Ban on Sliced Bread Sales—and Why It Didn’t Last Long

Designed to keep prices low and conserve wax paper, the ban, enacted on this day in 1943, only succeeded in making Americans furious

Archaeologists and Masai landowners conducted excavations at Engaji Nanyori in Tanzania.

Homo Erectus Thrived in a Desert, Study Finds, Suggesting the Early Humans Could Adapt to Extreme Environments

New research suggests modern humans aren’t the only hominin species capable of “ecological flexibility”

An elite resident of Pompeii used these baths to entertain guests.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Pompeii Discover Private Spa Where Dozens of Guests Bathed in Luxury 2,000 Years Ago

The well-preserved thermal bath complex was unearthed at a lavish home likely owned by a member of the ancient city’s elite

Starship lifts off on January 16, before undergoing a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" roughly eight and a half minutes into the flight.

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes in Its Seventh Test Flight, With Falling Debris Putting on a Fiery Show

The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, was successfully caught in the launch tower’s mechanical arms for only the second time

A view of the Palisades fire on January 9. The strong Santa Ana winds that fueled much of the L.A. wildfires’ destruction are expected to relax for a few days.

L.A. Fire-Fueling Winds Slow Down, Offering a Short Reprieve. What Are the Santa Ana Winds, and Why Do They Fan the Flames?

The seasonal gusts have exacerbated the deadly fires, and they’re expected to pick back up next week

The exhibition includes a re-creation of Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E.

What Was Life Like in Pompeii Before Mount Vesuvius Erupted Nearly 2,000 Years Ago?

An immersive new exhibition in Australia uses artifacts, sounds and projections to recreate the ancient Roman city

A Revolutionary War pension and bounty land warrant application submitted by James Lambert

Can You Read This Cursive Handwriting? The National Archives Wants Your Help

Anyone with an internet connection can volunteer to transcribe historical documents and help make the archives’ digital catalog more accessible

The dye, chemically known as erythrosine, has been used since 1907 to give candies, drinks and other foods their vibrant red color.

FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 From Food, Beverages and Ingested Drugs, Citing Link to Cancer in Lab Rats

The synthetic additive found in thousands of food products will now be phased out by 2027, but advocates say the agency’s move is long overdue

MAFBI agents (right) escort Vincent James Costa (center) and Michael Vincent Geegan (left) from Federal Court 1/12. The two men together with four others were arrainged before UC commissioner for the $1,219,000 Brinks robbery on January 17,1950.

On This Day in History

On This Day in 1950, Thieves Stole Millions in a Famous Robbery That Took Years for the Police to Solve

Investigators finally cracked the case thanks to infighting among the thieves—but never located all the money

Researchers analyzed DNA from a rare Iron Age burial site in southwest England.

New Research

Scientists Discover Celtic Society Where Men Left Home to Join Their Bride’s Community

DNA extracted from 57 individuals buried in a 2,000-year-old cemetery provides evidence of a “matrilocal” community in Iron Age Britain, a new study suggests

Maayan Margulis and Shira Lifshitz clean the mosaic.

Cool Finds

See the Greek Biblical Inscription Embedded in an Ancient Mosaic Floor Discovered in Israel

Archaeologists think the tiles once lined a Byzantine-era monastery. The complex also included a large warehouse and winepress

Homeowners found star-shaped debris outside their home on Prince Edward Island, Canada, after a meteorite strike in July.

Cool Finds

Meteorite Crash in Canada Is Caught by Home Security Camera in Likely World-First Video Footage

The space rock—recorded with visuals and sound—landed where the homeowner had been standing just minutes earlier

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