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For decades, researchers and divers have observed curious and intelligent octopi utilize oceanic pollution as tools or taking up residence in glass bottles.

Octopuses Are Reusing Human Trash as Shelter

In crowdsourced images, the cephalopods were observed making refuse their home, even using the junk as a place to lay eggs

Murphy, an English Springer Spaniel, participated in the study.

Good News

Therapy Dogs Help Reduce Pain in Emergency Room Patients

A new study shows canine companions can reduce anxiety, depression and discomfort in ER patients—and increase their overall well-being

The lady-bug-sized spiders live in colonies of thousands are rarely leave the safety of their web.

These Spiders Hunt in Packs to Catch Prey Hundreds of Times Their Size

New research reveals how some arachnids use a coordinated stop-and-start approach to find a meal

An aerial view of a ten-foot-long section of the newly discovered mosaic

Cool Finds

See Dazzling Photos of a Roman Mosaic Floor Unearthed in London

The ancient artwork is the largest of its kind found in the English capital in 50 years

A woodblock illustration depicts a warrior challenging Tamamo-no-mae, a evil nine-tailed fox disguised as a woman who tries to kill the emperor. Legends say the "killing stone," which recently split in half, contained her vengeful spirit.  

Ancient Japanese Stone Said to Contain ‘Demon’ Cracks Open

Legends say the evil spirit of a beautiful woman plotted to kill the emperor was trapped inside more than 1,000 year ago

The parthenogenetic mouse and the offspring

Mice Birthed From Unfertilized Eggs for the First Time

The lab rodent, which only had genes from its mother, grew to adulthood and successfully reproduced, which was thought to be impossible in mammals

Endurance, which sank over 100 years ago, hosts filter-feeders like anemones.

Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ Shipwreck Is Teeming With Bizarre Ocean Life

Undersea footage reveals the ship’s diverse collection of sea stars, sponges, anemones, and even a rare deep-sea squat lobster

The rose-veiled fairy wrasse is the first Maldivian fish to be described by a local scientist. Pictured: a male rose-veiled fairy wrasse

New Rainbow-Colored, Deep-Sea Fish Officially Described by Scientists in the Maldives

The new-to-science species was named after roses, the Maldivian national flower

Bruce Springsteen, here at a 2017 performance in Toronto, Canada. Last week, the singer announced plans for a future exhibition in his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, with a completion date set in 2024.

A Bruce Springsteen Exhibition Is Coming to the Singer’s New Jersey Hometown

Set to debut in mid-2024, the Freehold show will explore the artist’s early years and musical career

This image of a leopard seal about to chomp down on a Gentoo penguin won gold in the "Behavior—Mammals" category. It is also the grand prize winner of the World Nature Photography Awards.  

A Penguin Faces Death by Leopard Seal in Jaw-Dropping Grand Prize Image

Winners in this year’s World Nature Photography Awards were selected for 14 different categories varying by species and habitat

Researchers discovered the wreck of Ernest Shackleton's Endurance, the team announced this week. The ship was last seen by Shackleton's crew in 1915 before it slipped under the icy surface. 

Cool Finds

Wreck of Shackleton’s ‘Endurance’ Discovered in Icy Antarctic Depths

Researchers captured stunning photographs of the century-old wreck, still intact almost two miles beneath the waters of the Weddell Sea

Votive offering found at the Sikait site

Did Ancient Nomads Seize Control of a Roman Emerald Mine in Egypt?

Recent excavations suggest the Blemmyes assumed power of the Sikait mining site between the fourth and sixth centuries C.E.

A flashy jewel bug butt. 

Science Twitter’s ‘InverteButt Week’ Puts Backsides on Display

The behinds of spineless organisms are diverse among species and serve a multitude of purposes beyond expelling waste

David Bennett Sr. with his son

Patient Who Received a Genetically Modified Pig Heart Dies After Two Months

The procedure marks the first time that a genetically-modified, non-human cardiac organ functioned without immediate rejection by the human body

This rare stone covered in carved Pictish symbols is one of just 200 stones like it that have been discovered.

Rare Stone With Pictish Symbols Discovered in Scotland

Unearthed in a farmer’s field, the monument is one of only 200 of its kind known to exist

Draughtsboard sharks apparently snooze with their eyes open or closed depending on the amount of surrounding light.

Sharks Apparently Do Sleep, Even With Their Eyes Wide Open

Scientists observed sleep in draughtsboard sharks by analyzing the animals’ metabolism and posture

The bowls were probably created in what is now Iraq between the fourth and eighth centuries C.E.

1,500-Year-Old ‘Magic Bowls’ Seized in Jerusalem Raid

Ancient Mesopotamians used the vessels, which were inscribed with incantations, to ward off demons, disease and other misfortune

Andy Warhol poses in his studio, The Factory, in Union Square, New York City, on April 12, 1983.

Art Meets Science

Hear an A.I.-Generated Andy Warhol ‘Read’ His Diary to You in New Documentary

An new Netflix television series employs artificial intelligence to recreate the voice of the Pop Star icon

Even at thresholds of sodium chloride that were considered safe at 230 milligrams of chloride per liter of water in the U.S. to 120 milligrams of chloride per liter in Canada, researchers found a significant loss of zooplankton populations an increase in algae.  

Road Salt Pollution Levels Deemed Safe in U.S. and Canada May Not Protect Freshwater Ecosystems Enough

At current thresholds, salinization can kill off zooplankton, a crucial microorganism at the center of many food webs

A 14th-century gold coin found by a metal detectorist in England sold for $185,000 at auction on Tuesday.

Amateur Treasure Hunter Unearths Rare 14th-Century Gold Coin

The leopard florin was minted in 1344 and is one of just five of its kind known to survive today

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