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The log boats were all made the same way, but each one is unique.

Cool Finds

These Ancient Log Boats Unearthed in England Were Each Carved From a Single Tree Trunk 3,000 Years Ago

First discovered in 2011, three vessels are the centerpiece of a new exhibition about craftsmanship and transportation methods in Bronze Age Britain

The Altamura Man was discovered in a cave in southern Italy in 1993.

Stunningly Well-Preserved Neanderthal Skull Suggests the Species’ Large Noses Weren’t Adapted for the Cold

A new study analyzes the nasal cavity of the “Altamura Man,” a Neanderthal who died between 130,000 and 172,000 years ago

Asian elephant Nhi Linh, who stands in the foreground, is pregnant. Behind her is Spike, who sired the calf.

This ‘Feisty’ Asian Elephant at the National Zoo Is Pregnant. She May Birth the First Calf Born There in Nearly 25 Years

With fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants estimated to be remaining in the wild, the Smithsonian’s announcement gives hope to those working to preserve the endangered species

European starlings were the best at imitating R2-D2's multphonic sounds because they can control both sides of both sides of the syrinx independently, the researchers say.

Birds Are Beeping and Booping like R2-D2. Their Mimicked Sounds Are Helping Unlock the Secrets of Avian Communication

European starlings were better than parrots at imitating R2-D2’s high-pitched chattering, possibly because of their special control over a vocal organ

To survey the area, researchers used a mix of satellite imagery and magnetometry.

Archaeologists Find Evidence of a Bronze Age City in Kazakhstan

Surveyed for the first time since its discovery two decades ago, the settlement “breaks from all the things that we thought we knew about Central Asia up to this point,” a study author says

The moss spores germinated after enduring space outside of the ISS.

Moss Spores Survived Nine Months Outside the International Space Station. Then, They Grew Normally on Earth

While lunar gardens are still out of reach, the study sheds more light on terrestrial biology that may not be limited to our planet’s surface

A judge temporarily blocked the sale of this Pascaline, the only known example of a Pascaline used to measure distances. 

One of the World’s Oldest Calculators Was Up for Auction. Then, Scientists Rallied and Temporarily Blocked Its Sale

French scholars argued that the 17th-century Pascaline should go to a public collection and stay within the country. But a Paris court may take months to make a final decision on the device’s fate

T. oblongifolia thrives in Death Valley's high temperatures.

This Shrub Thrives in Death Valley’s Scorching Temperatures. Where Do Its Heat-Tolerant Superpowers Come From?

Tidestromia oblongifolia thrives in high heat—and scientists think it may hold the key to making food crops more resilient amid global warming

A computer simulation of a black hole being born

The Most Massive Black Hole Merger Ever Seen Was So Rare, It Seemed Impossible. Now, Astrophysicists May Finally Have an Explanation

Past research about black hole births rarely included magnetic fields or the spins of the precursor stars. But considering those factors could explain the origins of two unusual objects that collided

Chimpanzees, like some other apes, kiss each other on the lips. 

How Did Humans End Up Smooching on the Lips? It May Have Started Out With a 21-Million-Year-Old Kiss

Our ancient primate relatives—including Neanderthals—may have enjoyed a nice peck on the lips. But researchers still don’t know why we do it

The Dream (The Bed) was part of a private collection of more than 80 Surrealist paintings auctioned by Sotheby's.

A Frida Kahlo Painting Just Became the Most Expensive Work by a Female Artist Ever Auctioned

“The Dream (The Bed),” a self-portrait created in 1940, sold for $54.7 million. The previous record holder, Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1,” went for $44.4 million in 2014

A raccoon peers out from a tree. New research suggests urban raccoons in the United States have shorter snouts than rural raccoons do, a sign of potential domestication.

Urban Raccoons Are Showing Signs of Early Domestication, With Shorter Snouts Than Their Rural Cousins

The shorter faces of these city-dwelling trash bandits offer a telltale sign of domestication and line up with a leading hypothesis about animals that adapt to human-dominated environments, according to a new study

This image was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in October. 

More Than a Dozen NASA Spacecraft Have Glimpsed Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS. Now, You Can View New Images That They Captured

The space agency got a close look at the interstellar visitor over the past few months as it zipped by Mars and the sun

Wolfram Weimer, the German culture minister; Peter Wollny, director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig; and Burkhard Jung, Leipzig's mayor pictured with the two compositions

Cool Finds

These Bach Compositions Were Lost to History. They Were Just Performed for the First Time in 300 Years—and You Can Listen to Them

After discovering the two pieces in the 1990s, researchers have finally concluded that they were created by the famous German composer. An organist performed them for audiences on November 17

Seabirds are just some of the marine animals known to eat plastic. 

More Than 1,200 Marine Animal Species Eat Plastic. Ingesting Even a Tiny Amount Can Kill Them, a New Study Suggests

Researchers examined more than 10,000 animal autopsies to figure out how much plastic is too much for ocean wildlife

The painting was rehung in its original place at the church during a ceremony earlier this month.

This Painting Hung at a Church in Mexico for 200 Years Before It Was Stolen in 2001. Now, It’s Finally Returning Home

Titled “St. Francis of Assisi,” the 1747 standing portrait of the church’s namesake was stolen in 2001, along with several other items

Two new studies explored the impact beavers have on bats and pollinator insects.

Beavers are Dam Good for Biodiversity, Bringing Bats, Butterflies and Other Critters to Their Neighborhoods

Two new studies suggest that the semi-aquatic rodents provide food and habitat for bats and pollinator insects within their engineered ecosystems

Well-preserved reindeer antlers found at the site

Cool Finds

A Hiker Discovered a Trove of Artifacts in Norway’s Melting Ice. The Site Turned Out to Be a 1,500-Year-Old Reindeer Trap

Located in the mountains of western Norway, the facility was likely used by Iron Age hunters to trap and kill wild reindeer. Experts say it’s the only site of its kind ever found in the country

An art handler stands in front of Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer by Gustav Klimt during a press preview at Sotheby's on November 7.

Watch the Record-Breaking Auction of This Gustav Klimt Portrait, Which Just Became the Second Most Expensive Painting Ever Sold

“Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer,” which played a role in protecting the life of its Jewish subject during the Holocaust, sold at Sotheby’s for a historic $236.4 million. It’s also the most expensive modern artwork ever auctioned

A group of 374 bagpipers performed in Melbourne's Federation Square.

Hundreds of Australian Bagpipers Attempt to Set World Record While Playing AC/DC

The performance of “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll)” took place a few days before the band played its first show in Australia in a decade

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