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A pod of 157 false killer whales washed up on a beach in Tasmania.

Pod of 157 False Killer Whales Stranded on a Tasmania Beach Could Not Be Rescued, Wildlife Officials Say

In the area’s largest stranding event for the species since the 1970s, experts decided euthanasia was the most humane course of action

The left wall features a painting of men and women dancing around a flute player.

Cool Finds

Vivid Wall Paintings Unearthed at a 2,500-Year-Old Etruscan Necropolis in Italy

Found beneath an older tomb near Tarquinia, the painted chamber depicts several intricate scenes, including a metallurgical workshop

Discovery images of asteroid 2024 YR4, which is highlighted in green

Chance of Asteroid Strike in 2032 Drops Sharply After Record-Setting Rise. Here’s Why It Keeps Changing

NASA announced that asteroid 2024 YR4 now has a 0.28 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032, but that number is expected to continue shifting with further observations

The bronze gadget helped filter out large grains and pulp.

Cool Finds

This 1,600-Year-Old Filter Helped Ancient Drinkers Sip Beverages Through a Straw

Archaeologists discovered an unusual bronze artifact studded with holes while excavating the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Türkiye

Scientists suggest finding extraterrestial intelligence is more likely than thought, arguing that complex life is not a cosmic fluke.

Intelligent Life May Be More Likely to Exist on Other Planets Than Previously Thought, Scientists Say

Researchers present an alternative to the long-held “hard steps” theory to explain the evolution of complex life, suggesting it’s the natural outcome of a habitable environment rather than a lucky break

Michelangelo, The Creation of Adam, 1511

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Sketches Are Coming to America

A new exhibition opening next month at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, Virginia, explores the Italian Renaissance master’s preparations for his famous ceiling frescoes

On February 20, 1792, George Washington made sure the post office would remain part of the federal government, establishing the postmaster role first held by Benjamin Franklin as the head of a permanent cabinet department, the Post Office Department.

On This Day in History

Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom Stopped the United States Post Office Department From Launching on This Day in 1792

The American Revolution cemented the importance of a federally protected post office in the minds of the people and politicians

One of the study authors, Maëlan Tomasek, with a fish. The scientists found that wild fish will start to follow humans for food and can recognize individual divers based on what they're wearing.

Wild Fish Can Tell Human Divers Apart Based on Their Outfits, Study Suggests

Using visual cues, including colors on wetsuits, seabream in the Mediterranean learned to identify researchers that would feed them

The ring dates to between 1650 and 1750.

Cool Finds

This 17th-Century ‘Lovers’ Ring’ Unearthed in England Is Marked by a Romantic Inscription

Found near a historic property in Lancashire, the ring represents a history of affectionate gifts

The 166-pound Florida panther is an adult male around ten years old.

Scientists Find the Heaviest Florida Panther on Record, a Giant Cat Tipping the Scales at 166 Pounds

Wildlife officials in Florida captured and collared the adult male feline during a routine population check in late January

Wisdom the Laysan albatross was banded with a red tag reading Z333 in 1956. She is now raising a newborn chick at the age of at least 74.

See the Adorable Video of Wisdom, the World’s Oldest Wild Bird, Tending to Her New Chick at Age 74

First banded in 1956, the Laysan albatross has become a mother once again at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Replicas of sheep and paintings are part of the exhibition's "exploded" diorama layout.

From Shears to Sweaters, an Experimental New Exhibition Examines the Long, Wooly Relationship Between Humans and Sheep

The Amsterdam show features an eclectic mix of wool garments, life-size sheep replicas and philosophical musings about the interconnectedness of the two species

Although the Donner-Reed party’s time on the Oregon Trail was filled with suffering, their story did little to slow westward migration.

On This Day in History

Donner Party Survivors Were Rescued on This Day in 1847 After Weeks of Frigid Conditions, Starvation and—Eventually—Cannibalism

Bad luck and poor decisions turned the already dangerous trek from Missouri to California into a fatal affair for roughly half of the Donner-Reed party

European Space Agency astronaut John McFall tests his prosthesis fit in simulated microgravity.

The World’s First Astronaut With a Physical Disability Is Cleared for Long-Duration Space Missions

Paralympian John McFall has passed all the required medical exams and is now eligible for future travel to the ISS with the European Space Agency

Written in 1777, the letter from George Washington is expected to sell for $150,000.

You Can Buy a Rare Letter by George Washington Written at a Crucial Turning Point in the Revolutionary War

In the optimistic missive, Washington extols the revolutionary spirit of the American people—even in defeat—and makes a rare reference to the experimental smallpox inoculation that helped prevent outbreaks

An artistic representation of microorganisms. New research suggests sex may transfer a distinctive microbiome to a person's partner.

Couples Exchange Bacteria During Intercourse, Known as the ‘Sexome.’ It Might Help Track Down Sexual Assault Perpetrators

In a study of 12 heterosexual couples, researchers noted the presence of a partner’s genital bacteria after sex, even when the pair used a condom

Researchers estimate the women were buried with more than 270,000 disc-shaped beads.

New Research

Why Were These Women Buried With More Than 270,000 Beads?

At a 5,000-year-old tomb in Spain, researchers found what is likely the largest known collection of beads ever discovered at a burial site

Part of an ice core taken from a borehole drilled in the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream

Tiny Quakes Discovered Deep Within Greenland’s Ice Sheet Could Change Sea-Level Rise Predictions, Study Suggests

While scientists once thought Greenland’s ice streams flowed slowly and uniformly, new research reveals a quake-driven “stick-slip” motion that’s linked to volcanic activity thousands of years ago

Stained-glass windows depicting George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, and his wife, Isabel Neville

On This Day in History

Why an English King’s Traitorous Brother Was (Allegedly) Drowned in a Barrel of Wine

George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, spent his life engaged in a power struggle that pitted cousins and siblings against each other. He was executed for treason on this day in 1478

The Beetle became the most produced—and most popular—car ever made, dethroning industry legend Henry Ford and his Model T.  

On This Day in History

With More Than 15 Million Made, This Iconic Car Became the World’s Most Popular on This Day in 1972

Blockbuster movies and the Beatles helped popularize Volkswagen’s uniquely shaped and affordable little car

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