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The portals were unveiled on May 8 in Manhattan's Flatiron District and on Dublin's O'Connell Street.

Through Newly Installed ‘Portals,’ New Yorkers and Dubliners Can Wave, Dance and Inappropriately Gesture to Each Other in Real Time

New art installations connect the two cities through continuous silent video feeds

Toxins from the Colorado River toad have been ingested by some for their psychedelic and medicinal effects.

A Modified Psychedelic Toad Toxin Reduces Signs of Depression and Anxiety in Mice, Study Suggests

Colorado River toads produce a psychoactive toxin that some have claimed has medical benefits. The new research suggests these benefits could be achieved without hallucinations

Male belugas were more likely than females to change the shape of their melons, or foreheads.

Belugas May Communicate by Changing the Shape of Their Squishy Foreheads

Scientists documented five different melon shapes among the marine mammals living in captivity: push, flat, lift, shake and press

The original illustration for the cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone will go to auction in June.

Spellbinding Cover Art for ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ Could Break Auction Record

The original watercolor illustration of a young wizard boarding the Hogwarts Express was artist Thomas Taylor’s first professional commission

Alvin Gauthier drove more than 300 miles to personally deliver lost letters from a World War II veteran.

Mail Carrier Drives for Five Hours to Hand Deliver Lost World War II-Era Letters

When Alvin Gauthier found several letters written by a veteran in the 1940s, he went on a mission to return them

A portrait of Ludwig Van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, painted in 1820.

Locks of Beethoven’s Hair Are Unraveling the Mysteries of His Deafness and Illnesses

Researchers found high levels of lead, mercury and arsenic in the German composer’s hair, which may help explain some of his many ailments

An artist's concept of 55 Cancri e and its sun. The star is much closer to its sun than any planet in our solar system, so it is too hot to support life.

Astronomers Discover an Atmosphere on a Hot, Rocky Exoplanet With an Ocean of Magma

It’s the best evidence yet of an atmosphere on a rocky planet outside our solar system, researchers say, and studying the distant world could provide insight into Earth’s early days

Guests will get to stay inside the Musée d'Orsay's clock room on the night of July 26.

The Paris Olympics

Spend the Night in the Musée d’Orsay’s Clock Room on the Evening of the Olympics Opening Ceremony

Airbnb will allow two travelers to book a one-night stay in the storied Paris museum, where they will watch the ceremony from a balcony overlooking the Seine

Dice snakes feigned their own deaths with a variety of mechanisms, including filling their mouths with blood (shown right).

Dice Snakes Fake Their Own Deaths With Gory, Poop-Filled Theatrics

When attacked by a predator, the reptiles can play dead with convincing detail, employing blood and feces for the show

The Maya played games like pok-a-tok, in which players hit a rubber ball through a stone circle such as this one in the ancient city of Chichen Itza.

Cool Finds

Hallucinogenic Plant Unearthed Beneath an Ancient Maya Ball Court

Researchers have found evidence of a nearly 2,000-year-old ceremonial offering at the site in present-day Mexico

Meules à Giverny, Claude Monet, 1893

One of Monet’s Late Haystack Paintings Could Sell for More Than $30 Million

The sale of “Meules à Giverny” (1893) will coincide with the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition in Paris

Sperm whales communicate by making clicks.

Scientists Discover a ‘Phonetic Alphabet’ Used by Sperm Whales, Moving One Step Closer to Decoding Their Chatter

Researchers used artificial intelligence to spot patterns in recordings of the marine mammals’ vocalizations, uncovering the “building blocks of whale language”

Cicada salad, roasted cicadas and cicada casseroles are among the insect-based dishes on offer at restaurants across the country.

From Dinner Parties to Restaurants, Cicadas Are Landing in the Kitchen

Professional and amateur chefs nationwide are preparing to serve cicada dishes as the rare double brooding begins

Memorable, large images and scenes are associated with a longer perception of time, a new study suggests.

Are Days Passing Too Quickly? Memorable Experiences Might Help Dilate Your Sense of Time, Research Suggests

How we process time is linked to things we see, according to a new study, which found memorable, non-cluttered imagery can make moments seem to last longer

A "Charles I gold unite crown coin" generated the most money at the auction, collecting £5,000 (about $6,250).

Cool Finds

English Family Finds More Than a Thousand 17th-Century Coins During Home Renovation

The hoard, which collectively sold for $75,000, was likely buried during the First English Civil War

Alicia Vikander as Catherine Parr in Firebrand, an upcoming film from director Karim Aïnouz

Based on a True Story

Watch the Trailer for ‘Firebrand,’ a New Drama About Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr

Karim Aïnouz’s film features Alicia Vikander and Jude Law as the Tudor queen and king

The helmet could date to as far back as the sixth century B.C.E.

Cool Finds

Why Did the Ancient Illyrians Place Helmets in Their Burial Mounds?

A 2,500-year-old helmet found in Croatia may have been a funerary offering. It offers insights into the rituals of a lesser-known culture that once occupied the Balkan Peninsula

An MRI of a brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease. A new study suggests having two copies of a genetic variant called APOE4 is a cause of the disease, not just a risk factor for it.

Almost All People With Two Copies of This Genetic Variant Develop Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Finds

The research focused on a variant called APOE4 and largely looked at people of European ancestry—risk levels are different for other groups, the authors say

Canaletto's 18th century painting, The Stonemason’s Yard, depicts stone workers in a Venetian city square. 

A Canaletto Masterpiece Stowed in a Mine During World War II Returns to Wales

“The Stonemason’s Yard” was one of many paintings that officials took from the National Gallery in London and moved underground to keep safe from Nazi forces

A team of 18 bakers worked for hours to create the record-breaking loaf.

French Bakers Set a New World Record by Making a 461-Foot-Long Baguette

The previous world record was set by a group of bakers in Italy in 2019

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