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The early life stages of these oceanic behemoths are a mystery to researchers.

Cool Finds

Teeming Manta Ray Nursery Discovered in the Gulf of Mexico

Almost all of the rays in the area are rarely seen juveniles, which can reach wingspans of 23 feet when they grow up

DNA from this panda skull, found in Cizhutuo cave in southern China, is the oldest panda DNA ever sequenced.

This Ancient Panda Skull Belongs to a Previously Unknown Lineage

The fossilized skull represents a panda line that split from today’s fluffy creatures 183,000 years ago

An authentic copy of a letter written by Christopher Columbus as displayed at the Vatican. The United States is returning to the Vatican Library a letter written by Christopher Columbus in 1493 announcing his discovery of the New World that was stolen and replaced with a forgery.

Stolen Christopher Columbus Letter Returned to Vatican, But Mystery Persists

The letter, which had been printed in 1493, was replaced with a convincing fake—and investigators still don’t know who committed the crime

Prototype of one of the magnets that will be used in the upgraded Large Hadron Collider.

Trending Today

The Large Hadron Collider Is Getting A Huge Power Boost

A multi-year upgrade will lead to up to 10 times the collisions, and perhaps the discovery of mysterious new particles

This Alpine peak is the new home of a James Bond museum.

Mountaintop Museum Highlights the History of Bond—James Bond

The new 007 Elements museum is built into the top of an Alpine mountain and features a full-size airplane from the movie Spectre

A crab spider spins out fine silk fibers for its aerial dispersal. The image is displayed as a negative to make the silk easier to see.

Before Soaring Through the Air, Tiny Crab Spiders Study the Wind

A recent study sheds new light on spider flight

Say what? Residents of the town of Liberal, Kansas, are developing a new accent thanks to changing demographics in the area.

Trending Today

This Town In Kansas Has Its Own Unique Accent

Immigration over the last 40 years has all the young people in town speaking English with a slightly Latin feel

Albert Einstein during a lecture in Vienna in 1921

Einstein’s Travel Diaries Reveal His Deeply Troubling Views on Race

“It would be a pity if these Chinese supplant all other races,” the iconic scientist writes

New Research

Where Did the Aztecs Get Their Turquoise?

New analysis shows the blue-green mineral found in Aztec art was likely mined in Mexico, not the American Southwest as previously believed

Double burial of two plague victims in the Samara region, Russia

Bacteria in Ancient Teeth Push Back Origins of the Bubonic Plague

The deadly disease may have been transmitted to humans at least 800 years earlier than previously believed

I can haz more habitats?

New Research

The UK’s Hedgehogs (and Other Mammals) Are In Danger

The island nation’s mammal populations have seen a steep decline in the last two decades, with hedgehog numbers decreasing by two-thirds

A reporter photographs "Statue of a Victorious Youth" on display at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

The Getty Is Fighting to Keep a Rare Greek Bronze

An Italian magistrate has ordered that the statue, which was discovered in the Adriatic Sea by Italian fishermen, be returned to Italy

Stephen Hawking's memorial stone in Westminster Abbey.

Trending Today

A Message From Stephen Hawking Is On Its Way to a Black Hole

After his ashes were interred at Westminster Abbey, a musical composition and “message of hope” were broadcast toward 1A 0620-00, the nearest black hole

The continent is now losing 219 billion tons of ice a year, a staggering figure scientists say could raise sea levels six inches by 2100.

New Research

Antarctic Ice Loss Has Tripled Over the Past Decade

Since 1992, the continent has lost more than 3.3 trillion tons of ice, triggering a quarter-inch rise in global sea levels

These two views from NASA’s Curiosity rover, acquired specifically to measure the amount of dust inside Gale Crater, show that dust has increased over three days from a major Martian dust storm. The images were taken by the rover’s Mastcam.

Massive, ‘Unprecedented’ Dust Storm Puts Mars Rover at Risk

Engineers have not received any transmissions from the Opportunity rover since Sunday

A narwhal being capture and tagged for the study

New Research

Researchers Record the Sounds of the Elusive Narwhal

Skreee—-click——whirrr.

The goal, Ruth Jarman says, is to “transcend the data so that it becomes something else"

Art Meets Science

‘HALO’ Makes Art Out of Subatomic Particle Collisions at Art Basel

The site-specific installation by British artist duo Semiconductor revisits the universe’s first moments

Apollo 15 Lunar Module Pilot James Irwin salutes the U.S. flag. This photograph was taken by Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander.

Astronauts’ Footprints May Have Warmed the Moon

“Lost” data from the 1970s helped scientists solve an enduring lunar mystery

Researchers examined 400 photographs and 100 paintings dating between 1500 and 2015

Art Meets Science

Why Artists Have so Much Trouble Painting Lightning

A new study compares painted versus photographed depictions of lightning bolts’ offshooting branches

Recordings are available via Soundcloud and the Google Arts & Culture platform

How to Hear the Met’s Historic Instruments’ Singular Sounds

New audio recordings by the museum feature roughly 40 instruments, from Ming dynasty lute to the world’s oldest surviving piano

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