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Art historian Jennifer Alexander believes the carving is a self-portrait made by a medieval stonemason.

Cool Finds

A 12th-Century Mason Created a Hidden Self-Portrait in Famed Spanish Cathedral

Over the past 900 years, millions of pilgrims walked through Santiago de Compostela Cathedral without spotting the secret carving

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hollywood Africans, 1983

How Jean-Michel Basquiat and His Peers Made Graffiti Mainstream

A new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston explores how a network of young artists in 1980s New York City influenced hip-hop’s visual culture

A still from the first ever video of a live ram's head squid in the wild.

See Strange Squid Filmed in the Wild for the First Time

The elusive creature is called the ram’s horn squid after a spiral-shaped internal shell that is often found by beachcombers

The Philippines is naturally exposed to natural disasters like typhoons and experiences around 20 typhoons each year.

The World’s Most Powerful Storm in Four Years Strikes the Philippines

The Philippines is naturally at risk for natural disasters, but storms like Goni are expected to strengthen and occur more frequently with climate change

Artist's rendering of The Starry Night, as seen in "The Lume" at Newfields

Step Into ‘The Starry Night’ and Other Vincent van Gogh Masterpieces

An upcoming installation at the Newfields museum in Indianapolis will immerse visitors in the Dutch artist’s paintings

New research identifies a previously unknown type of nerve cell inside octopus suckers that the cephalopods use like taste buds.

New Research

Octopuses Taste Food With Special Cells in Their Suckers

New study reveals biology behind one of the octopus’ many super powers

Search and rescue teams search for survivors in the debris of fallen buildings in Izmir, Turkey.

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Hits Turkey and Greece

The region has experienced 29 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or higher in the last 100 years

The Maya built the Corriental reservoir filtration system as early as 2,185 years ago.

Cool Finds

Researchers Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Maya Water Filtration System

The city of Tikal purified one of its reservoirs with technology comparable to modern systems

A brightly-colored page in the Codex Borgia, one of the artifacts requested by Mexico's president

Mexico Seeks Apology for Catholic Church’s Role in the Spanish Conquest

In a letter to Pope Francis, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also requested the temporary return of a number of artifacts

Detail of a medical treatise from the Tebtunis temple library with headings marked in red ink

Why Did Ancient Egyptian Scribes Use Lead-Based Ink?

A new study uncovers the science behind ancient writing traditions

When natural places are destroyed, wildlife are exposed to humans at the edges of their habitat, and they can expand their territories into urban areas, increasing the likelihood of contact with humans.

To Prevent Future Pandemics, Protect Nature

All six of the most recent pandemics have been linked to destructive human activities like deforestation, climate change and the wildlife trade

Researchers from ADHS, Historic Environment Scotland, Dendrochronicle and Wessex Archaeology examined the remains of the old bridge.

Cool Finds

Remnants of Scotland’s Oldest Surviving Bridge Found

Both Mary, Queen of Scots, and James V crossed the Old Ancrum Bridge, which was key to travel, commerce and war

A swordfish photographed underwater southwest of Tampa, Florida.

New Research

Shark Stabbed Through the Heart and a Swordfish Is to Blame

Recent research documents the latest instance of a strange but not unheard-of phenomenon in which swordfish impale sharks with their bills

This visualization shows the merging of two black holes, which emit gravitational waves.

New Research

Scientists Are Detecting More Gravitational Waves Than Ever Before

The LIGO and Virgo teams have spotted 50 total cosmic signals since 2015

A satellite image of the Noordoostpolder, a Dutch municipality where the four settlements were found

Cool Finds

Dutch Archaeologist Discovers Traces of Four Submerged Medieval Settlements

A five-year research project yielded the locations of several long-forgotten villages

The Book of Lismore consists of 198 large vellum folios.

Medieval Manuscript Returns to Ireland After Hundreds of Years in British Hands

The 15th-century Book of Lismore features the only surviving Irish translation of Marco Polo’s travels, among other historical texts

This photo, like some others in the collection, was taken in a photo booth, eliminating the need for a photographer.

Newly Published Portraits Document a Century of Gay Men’s Relationships

“Loving” features around 300 photos that offer an intimate look at men’s love between the 1850s and 1950s

A team of scientists on board a research vessel were on a year-long expedition to map the seafloor surrounding Australia when they discovered the reef about 80 miles off the coast of Cape York, Queensland.

A Coral Reef Taller Than the Eiffel Tower Was Just Discovered Off the Coast of Australia

A team of scientists mapped the underwater landscape and its bustling sea life using a robot

Tongass National Forest is home to stands of old growth trees that are between 300 and 1,000 years old.

Tongass National Forest Loses Restrictions on Logging and Road Development

Located in Alaska, the United States’ largest National Forest provides temperate rainforest habitat for bald eagles, wolves and bears

Detail of Michelangelo's The Last Judgment fresco

This $22,000 Book Features Life-Size Photos of the Sistine Chapel’s Art

The pricey tome consists of three 25-pound, two-foot-tall volumes

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