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Early shoots of thale cress sprout in their case of transparent gel on the space station. This is the same type of plant examined in this latest study for its "brain."

New Research

Seeds May Use Tiny “Brains” to Decide When to Germinate

Two clumps of cells send hormone signals to each other to help determine when the time has come to sprout

Hattie McDaniel was the first black actor to ever win an Oscar, but she was criticized for the roles she played.

What Hattie McDaniel Said About Her Oscar-Winning Career Playing Racial Stereotypes

Hattie McDaniel saw herself as a groundbreaker for black Americans

This huge temple was lurking beneath the site of a hotel.

Cool Finds

Gigantic Aztec Temple Unearthed in Mexico City

It was built in tribute to the wind god

This coprolite specimen, dubbed "Precious," is the largest fossilized feces found to date. Found in South Carolina, it weighs just over four pounds.

New Research

Researchers Use Particle Accelerator to Peek Inside Fossilized Poop

This new method could reveal just what dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures ate

The sperm in the Repository for Germinal Choice was intended to create ideal children, but for some prospective parents, it just offered them control over the process of having a child.

The “Nobel Prize Sperm Bank” Was Racist. It Also Helped Change the Fertility Industry

The Repository for Germinal Choice was supposed to produce super-kids from the sperm of white high achievers

A plaque marking one of the sites of the Pentrich Revolution.

Two Centuries Ago, These Ill-Fated Laborers Attempted to Overthrow the British Government

In 1817, the tragic Pentrich Revolution was short and brutal

This Museum Was the World’s Most-Visited in 2016

According to a new report ranking the most popular international museums

Compare two paintings of zebras with new IIIF functionality.

Cool Finds

This Tool Makes it Easy to Compare Art From Different Museums

IIIF frees images from the confines of individual websites

Once rare floods could afflict cities like San Diego more often in the future, a new study finds.

New Research

Catastrophic Coastal Floods Could Become Much More Likely

A new study predicts a median 40-fold increase in flood frequency by 2050

Fossilized skin from the neck of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

New Research

T. Rex Was Likely Covered in Scales, Not Feathers

The research dispels theories that the fearsome dino boasted a feathery plume

Some of the 3,000 commemorative letters sent in the first Postal Department rocket mail are still around. Some made it into the National Postal Museum's collection.

Mail Delivery By Rocket Never Took Off

Although the Postmaster General was on board with the idea of missile mail, the Navy was ultimately less interested

Tree resin trapped this baby bird 99 million years ago.

New Research

This 99-Million-Year-Old Bird Coexisted With Dinosaurs

The tiny bird is a big find for paleontologists

A man dives in the Coral Triangle off Ghizo, Solomon Islands, in 2011.

Three Things to Know About the Coral Triangle, the Ocean’s Biodiversity Hot Spot

At more than a billion acres of ocean, the Coral Triangle is one of the world’s biggest and most important marine regions

Dr. Seuss Museum Opens in Massachusetts

The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss features a life-sized Wump of Gump, a recreation of Sala-ma-Sond, and replicas of the author’s childhood haunts

Sliver of Saint’s Brain Stolen From Italian Basilica

Police are looking for the person or persons who swiped the sacred relic from the Don Bosco Basilica

This Wyoming Town Was Put Up for Auction

The bulk of the little hamlet was recently sold for $500,000

Stay off these steps to avoid the ire of Florence's mayor.

Trending Today

Florence Cracks Down on Picnicking Sightseers

You can still eat in the city—but don’t do it on the white marble steps of the Basilica di Santa Croce

Black soldier fly larvae

Trending Today

Got Food Waste? Get Some Maggots

In just a few hours, these tiny crawlers can eat more than their weight in food

Anthony Burgess at the PEN International 1985 in Lugano

Trending Today

Anthony Burgess’ Legendary Dictionary of Slang Lives

The author and linguist gave up the book after realizing how enormous the task of keeping up with slang would be

The floating solar power station in Anhui province

Trending Today

China Turns On the World’s Largest Floating Solar Farm

Floating on a lake over a collapsed coal mine, the power station in Anhui province can produce 40 megawatts of energy

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