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Surrounded (1996) is one of the early Burton artworks featured in the exhibition.

What Makes the Dark, Whimsical World of Tim Burton So Compelling?

An exhibition in London is showcasing more than 600 artworks and artifacts—including costumes, props and sketches—from the famous filmmaker’s career

Haggis joins Moo Deng as a popular ambassador for the pygmy hippopotamus species, which is endangered.

Trending Today

Meet Haggis, the Latest Baby Pygmy Hippo to Win Over the Internet

Born October 30 to parents Gloria and Otto at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, the hippo is already gaining popularity, following in the footsteps of viral sensation Moo Deng

A cylinder seal (left) engraved with symbols that was used to press markings into wet clay (right)

New Research

The World’s Earliest Writing System May Have Been Influenced by Older Symbols Found on Stone ‘Cylinder Seals’

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors used symbols to track the sale of textile and agricultural products. New research suggests that these markings informed the development of writing

NASA's aging Voyager 1 spacecraft entered interstellar space in 2012 and has faced a handful of technical issues over the last year, even as it continues to collect scientific data.

Voyager 1 Breaks Its Silence With NASA via a Radio Transmitter Not Used Since 1981

The farthest spacecraft in the universe went momentarily rogue, but scientists breathed a sigh of relief when it reconnected at an unexpected radio frequency

The Princeton University Art Museum is one of the many prominent institutions tied to Almagià, who graduated from the university in 1973.

A Prominent Italian Dealer Has Been Charged With Trafficking Thousands of Looted Artifacts

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has obtained an arrest warrant for Edoardo Almagià, who has been accused of working with looters and dealing stolen artifacts for years

Sugar exposure during the first 1,000 days after conception is linked with type 2 diabetes and hypertension later in life, according to a new study.

How Sugar Rationing During World War II Fended Off Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Later in Life

Babies who were conceived and born during the period of rationing in the United Kingdom were less likely to develop certain diseases as adults, a new study finds

Golconda, René Magritte, 1953

See How René Magritte’s Dreamlike Paintings Evolved Over Four Decades at a New Exhibition in Australia

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is showcasing works full of the Surrealist artist’s signature motifs—such as apples, pipes and bowler hats—in addition to lesser-known pieces

Silesaurids—including Silesaurus opolensis (pictured above) and the newly described fossil from Brazil (not pictured)—are usually considered non-dinosaurs. Some researchers are suggesting they might be more closely related to certain dinosaurs than previously thought.

A Rare Triassic Fossil Found in Brazil Could Shed Light on the Origin of Dinosaurs

The 237-million-year-old remains are among the oldest silesaurid fossils ever found, adding to paleontologists’ understanding of this still-mysterious group of prehistoric reptiles

The gold votive plaque features a Greek inscription dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Discover Engraved Gold Offering to Jupiter Dolichenu, a War God Revered by Roman Soldiers

The votive plaque was found amid the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. Researchers think a temple dedicated to the mysterious deity may have stood nearby

Teaching in Oxford, England, began no later than 1096. Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was founded in 1325.

The University of Oxford Is Older Than the Aztec Empire and Other Facts That Will Change Your Perspective on History

The historical timeline you keep in your head might not be as accurate as you think

Collectors can bid on 1.6 ounces of coal salvaged from the Titanic in 1994.

Coal Recovered From the Titanic and Thousands of Other Historic Shipwreck Artifacts Are Going to Auction

The Shipwreck Treasure Museum in Cornwall, England, is selling its collection, which includes items connected to nearly 150 shipwrecks

Tarlati Altarpiece, Pietro Lorenzetti, circa 1320

See the Breathtaking 14th-Century Sienese Artworks That Helped Set the Italian Renaissance in Motion

This brief chapter of art history is often overlooked. Now, an exhibition in New York City makes a strong argument for the integral role played by four artists in the city of Siena

Kamala often raised her trunk to greet keepers in anticipation of receiving food.

At the Age of 50, an Elderly Female Elephant Dies at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

The pachyderm, named Kamala, was suffering from osteoarthritis when zoo staff chose to euthanize her

The golden mussel is an invasive freshwater bivalve recently discovered near the Port of Stockton in California. 

Invasive Mussels Recently Spotted in California Mark a First for North America

The species may have been carried to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta in ballast water on ships

Moira was released into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego last month. Activities conducted under the Stranding Agreement between NMFS and SeaWorld California under the Authority of the MMPA.

After Months of Rehab, Moira the Cold-Stunned Sea Turtle Has Been Returned to the Wild

When fishermen found the endangered loggerhead sea turtle off Vancouver Island in February, she was listlessly floating in a bed of kelp

Over the past two years, roughly 20 wall engravings and 100 burn marks have been found at the historic residence.

Cool Finds

Tour Guide at Medieval Manor House Discovers Mysterious Etchings Meant to Repel Evil, Trap Demons and Curse Enemies

A “staggering array” of markings have been hiding in plain sight carved into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a 500-year-old home in Lincolnshire, England

Still Life Under the Lamp, Pablo Picasso, 1962

See Picasso’s Lesser-Known Print Works, Which He Continued Experimenting With Into His 80s

A new exhibition spotlights the Spanish artist’s printmaking talents, which he began honing in his 20s. In the decades that followed, he produced thousands of breathtaking creations

One of the sandstone statues recently discovered at Angkor Thom's Royal Palace 

Archaeologists Stumble Upon 900-Year-Old Door Guardian Statues in Cambodia

The team was analyzing the structure of a royal palace’s gate when they discovered 12 statues made out of sandstone

Each room on the tour now has a "reader rail" that provides historical information and context.

Jill Biden Unveils a Reimagined White House Tour, Which Invites Visitors to ‘Touch, Hear and See’ History

The public tours of the historic residence hadn’t been overhauled in decades. For two years, the first lady’s office has been working to make them more interactive and educational

The researchers studied the dusky lory (pictured) and the rosy-faced lovebird.

A Simple Chemical Shift Explains Why Parrots Are So Colorful, Study Suggests

Unlike other birds, which get pigments from their diets, parrots produce their own—but scientists never fully understood the underlying mechanisms, until now

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