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A drawing of a musical lion from 14th-century France

Why Is Medieval Art So Weird?

Titled “Weird Medieval Guys,” a new book examines illustrations of armless frogs, human-sized snails and more

Sergeant Gabriela Corbalan rang a bell as the names of the soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment were read at a recent ceremony. 

U.S. Army Clears 110 Black Soldiers Charged in 1917 Houston Riots

The soldiers have been given honorable discharges, and their families may now be eligible for benefits

Around 40 percent of people experience a fainting spell at some point in their lives.

Here’s What Causes Fainting, According to New Research

Scientists have discovered a pathway between the heart and brain in mice that appears to be involved during loss of consciousness

Taylor Swift performing during her record-breaking Eras Tour.

Taylor Swift-Themed Cruise Sets Sail Next Year

The four-night sailing is organized by Swifties, though the singer-songwriter herself won’t be on board

The first color photo of the Martian surface, taken in 1976 by the Viking 1 probe. To survive on Mars' surface, astronauts will need oxygen, which only exists in trace amounts in the Martian atmosphere.

A Robotic ‘A.I. Chemist’ Could Make Oxygen on Mars

In a lab on Earth, the machine created a catalyst from Martian materials that can extract oxygen from water, for astronauts to breathe or use as fuel

A museum visitor wears the new headset, which collects brainwave data that is used to create real-time images visualizing their response to art.

Art Meets Science

See What Your Brain Does When You Look at Art

A new device translates museum-goers’ brainwaves into a simplified real-time visualization

The Australasian crested grebe, or pūteketeke, won New Zealand's Bird of the Century contest with 290,000 votes.

Puking Bird Wins New Zealand’s Bird of the Century Contest After John Oliver Campaign

The comedian launched an “alarmingly aggressive” global effort on behalf of the pūteketeke to shore up its victory in the annual popularity competition

The Leonids appear to originate from the constellation Leo, but you can see them throughout the night sky.

How to Watch the Dazzling Leonid Meteor Shower This Weekend

The celestial spectacle has been ongoing since the beginning of the month, but it will peak Friday night into early Saturday morning

This is the only known first-class Titanic dinner menu of its kind from April 11, 1912.

Titanic Passengers Dined in Style Before Disaster Struck

A water-stained first-class dinner menu dated April 11, 1912 just sold for more than $100,000

A portrait of William Shakespeare at the edge of space in a still from the short film Lovers and Madmen

Shakespeare’s Portrait Travels to Edge of Space

The stunt was planned to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s First Folio

The small fishing village of Grindavík, which officials evacuated late last week as a precaution in advance of a likely volcanic eruption in the area.

Iceland Braces for a Likely Volcanic Eruption as Earthquakes Increase

The country’s Reykjanes Peninsula has been experiencing swarms of seismic activity for weeks, as magma accumulates beneath the surface

Astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara were performing routine maintenance during a spacewalk outside the ISS when they lost the tool bag.

Astronauts Lost a Tool Bag During a Spacewalk—and You Can See It Floating From Earth

The bag slipped away while Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara were performing routine maintenance on the International Space Station

Pablo Picasso’s Femme à la montre (or Woman with a Watch) sold for a whopping $139.4 million at Sotheby’s in New York this month.

‘Femme à la Montre’ Becomes Second Most Expensive Picasso Ever Sold

The 1932 painting of the artist’s mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter, fetched $139 at auction

Hummingbirds' unusual flying abilities have long fascinated scientists.

Watch How Hummingbirds Fly Through Narrow Spaces

Slow-motion video revealed the birds take two different approaches: flying sideways or pinning their wings back and darting like a bullet

A view of the exhibition galleries of "On the Reverse" at the Prado Museum

Madrid’s Prado Museum Shows What’s Behind Famous Paintings—Literally

The new exhibition “On the Reverse” encourages visitors to think of paintings as three-dimensional objects by showing their back sides

The north wall of an ancient Egyptian burial chamber decorated with spells protecting against snake bites

Cool Finds

This Ancient Egyptian Burial Chamber Was Filled With Spells to Ward Off Snake Bites

Although serpents were a symbol of protection for the Egyptians, the discovery suggests some were wary of getting venomous bites after death

Attenborough's long-beaked echidna, photographed by a camera trap

Scientists Find ‘Lost’ Echidna Species for the First Time in 60 Years

An expedition team in Indonesia spotted the elusive, egg-laying mammal, which is named after David Attenborough and had not been documented since 1961

Only ten known examples of Babe Ruth's rookie baseball card still exist today.

Only Ten Babe Ruth Rookie Baseball Cards Survive. Now, One Is Going Up for Auction

Bidding starts at $2.5 million, but the auction house expects the 1914 collectible to sell for much more—and possibly break memorabilia records

The number of African elephants, which are endangered, has been declining in recent years due to factors including habitat loss and poaching. A new study identifies a bacterium that could also continue to pose a threat to the elephants.

Bacteria to Blame for Elephant Deaths in Zimbabwe

Researchers are just now uncovering what may have killed 35 of the animals three years ago

Tamarix aphylla can survive in salty environments by excreting saline water from its leaves.

This Desert Plant’s Salty ‘Sweat’ Can Collect Water From the Air

The athel tamarisk’s hydration trick could improve on human techniques to harvest water in dry environments, researchers say

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