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Irene Triplett's father, Mose, ran away from a Confederate military hospital days before the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg.

The Last Person to Receive a Civil War Pension Dies at Age 90

Irene Triplett, whose father defected from the Confederate Army and enlisted with the Union, collected $73.13 a month

Horseshoe crabs are bled to harvest a key ingredient in tests used to ensure injected medicines such as vaccines are free of contaminants. This photo was taken in 2014 at the Charles River Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina.

Covid-19

The Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine Runs on Horseshoe Crab Blood

Pharmaceutical companies use the creature’s blue blood to test for contaminants

Foxes may be evolving to live alongside humans.

New Research

London Foxes Show Early Signs of Self-Domestication

The urban foxes have squatter snouts and smaller brains than their rural cousins, but they’re no house pets

Michael B. Jordan (left) and Jamie Foxx (right) star in Just Mercy as civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson and falsely accused death row inmate Walter McMillian, respectively.

‘Just Mercy’ Is Streaming for Free This Month to Educate Viewers on Systemic Racism

The 2019 film, which chronicles criminal justice reform in Alabama, stars Michael B. Jordan as lawyer Bryan Stevenson

One of the Qumran caves where the Dead Sea Scroll fragments were found.

New Research

Ancient DNA Helps Unlock Dead Sea Scroll Puzzle

The bulk of the ‘scrolls’ are actually 25,000 fragments and genetic analysis is now helping researchers piece them together

The colorized photograph shows 47-year-old Dickens in a blue, green and yellow waistcoat; a navy blue jacket; and tan trousers.

See a Newly Colorized Photograph of Charles Dickens

The image, set to go on view once London museums are allowed to reopen, shows off the prolific author’s playful fashion sense

A portrait of scientist Isaac Newton, who developed a toad vomit–based cure for the bubonic plague

Sir Isaac Newton’s Prescription for Plague? Toad Vomit Lozenges

Handwritten notes detailing the British polymath’s unsavory treatment are now up for auction

Built over the course of 200 years, Aguada Fénix was abandoned just 50 years after its completion.

Cool Finds

Aerial Survey Identifies Oldest, Largest Maya Structure Ever Found in Mexico

The platform stands between 33 and 50 feet tall and measures almost a mile long

A makeshift memorial and mural outside Cup Foods, where George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer on Sunday, May 31

How Artists Are Responding to the Killing of George Floyd

Murals and portraits memorializing the 46-year-old black man and calling for societal change have appeared across the world

On May 6, South Korea returned somewhat to normal, with businesses, museums and libraries reopening with social distancing measures in place. However, with a spike for more than 70 new cases in Seoul, museums have closed until June 14.

Covid-19

Seoul Closes Public Institutions After South Korea Sees 79 New COVID-19 Cases

Museums, churches, and art galleries are shut down until June 14 in Seoul, home to half of the country’s population

A great white shark pictured off the coast of Mexico in 2006

Prehistoric Great White Shark Nursery Discovered in Chile

Young sharks grew up here millions of years ago, scientists say

An artist's rendering shows the armored dinosaur Borealopelta markmitchelli eating ferns, which new research shows made up the majority of its diet.

New Research

Exquisitely Preserved ‘Mona Lisa’ of Dinosaur Fossils Reveals Prehistoric Creature’s Last Meal

Fossil plant matter found in the gut of the exquisitely preserved herbivore reveals its diet and even the season of its death

This photo shows part of the display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a memorial to honor thousands of African-Americans killed in lynchings.

Legislation Declaring Lynching a Federal Crime Hits New Roadblock

Sen. Rand Paul has stalled a measure passed by the House in February

Archaeologists found the two altars seen here featured burnt cannabis (right) and frankincense (left), respectively.

Archaeologists Identify Traces of Burnt Cannabis in Ancient Jewish Shrine

New research suggests the mind-altering substance may have been widely used in the ritual practices of the Kingdom of Judah

There are only around 80 Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) left on Earth. In their native northern Sumatra, Indonesia, they are being pushed towards extinction by habitat loss and poaching.

Already Unprecedented Rate of Wildlife Extinctions Is Accelerating

New research suggests roughly 500 species are likely to go extinct in the next two decades

The plaintiffs argue that the online library’s offerings are theft.

Covid-19

Publishers Sue Internet Archive for Copyright Infringement

The online library loosened restrictions on its collection of scanned books at the end of March in response to the pandemic

Wonga Wongue chimpanzees of Gabon usually lie down on their sides to termite fish.

Chimpanzees’ Termite Fishing Habits Differ by Regional Groups

Some scientists say the finding is an ‘absolute milestone in culture in nature research’

Researchers inspired by kirigami, the Japanese art of cutting and folding paper, create a friction-boosting material that could give shoes a stronger grip on ice and other slippery surfaces.

New Research

New No-Slip Sole Takes Inspiration From the Japanese Art of Kirigami

Compared to regular shoes, the grippy shoe bottom dramatically enhanced friction on ice

Cases of MIS-C are very rare and are mostly popping up in COVID-19 hotspots

Covid-19

What Experts Know About a Rare Inflammatory Syndrome Linked to COVID-19

The syndrome resembles a childhood illness called Kawasaki disease, but research is ongoing about both conditions

Photinus carolinus, or Synchronous Fireflies, are the only species in the U.S. that flash in coordinated bursts with one another.

Virtual Travel

Watch Fireflies Flicker From the Comfort of Home

Most firefly watching events are canceled this summer, but you can learn about and watch the flashy insects in this online event

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