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An illustration of a mother and calf Janjucetus dullardi, a newly discovered tiny whale species with a sharp bite

Cool Finds

Newly Discovered Prehistoric Whale Is ‘Deceptively Cute’—It’s Tiny but Has a Mouth Full of Razor-Sharp Teeth

Found on the southern coast of Australia, the species could fill gaps in scientists’ understanding of baleen whale evolution

Researchers dissected nearly 500 post-mortem birds from five Australian species, including the rainbow lorikeet (species pictured above).

Sex Reversal Is More Common in Birds Than Previously Thought, Suggests Study of Australian Species

Researchers find that about 5 percent of birds studied have a mismatch between genetic and physical sex—including one male bird that seems to have laid an egg

New moons are only visible during solar eclipses. This visualization of a tiny sliver, for example, is technically a crescent moon.

What Is a Black Moon? The Unusual Sky Phenomenon Will Occur Later This Month, but Don’t Expect to See It

A seasonal black moon, to appear on August 22 or 23, is the third of four new moons within an astronomical season

A collection of CDs advertising AOL's dial-up internet services

The Sounds of AOL Dial-Up Defined the Early Internet. Now, the Service Is Shutting Down for Good

Many of today’s internet users remember browsing the web for the first time via AOL dial-up. But as subscribers dwindle, the service will be sunsetting on September 30

Auctioneum book specialist Caitlin Riley found the volume with other unremarkable texts on a shelf.

Cool Finds

Rare First-Edition Copy of ‘The Hobbit’ Found in English Home Sells for Nearly $60,000

Experts found the volume while appraising the items in a home in Bristol, England. Only a few hundred copies are thought to survive

Gouldian finches, endemic to northern Australia, are among the tropical birds that may be vulnerable to extreme heat.

Tropical Birds Are Struggling to Cope With Extreme Heat, Research Suggests

A first-of-its-kind data analysis links high temperatures caused by climate change to tropical bird population declines

A new study suggests blowing into a conch shell helps alleviate obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.

Suffering From Sleep Apnea? Try Blowing Into a Conch Shell Almost Daily, New Study Suggests

Researchers say the practice might provide a simpler and low-cost alternative to the standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, though trials with more participants are needed

The Hollywood Premiere Motel was designed by architect Joyce Miller.

This Mid-Century Motel Described in Reviews as ‘Eerie’ Just Became a Los Angeles Historic Monument

Built in 1960, the Hollywood Premiere is the first motel to be added to the list of more than 1,300 protected sites in the city

Ecology Glacier on Antarctica’s King George Island in winter, where the body of Dennis “Tink” Bell was recovered

Remains of a Lost Antarctic Researcher Are Finally Recovered, 66 Years After He Fell Into a Crevasse

A team of Polish scientists found bone fragments and items belonging to Dennis “Tink” Bell near Ecology Glacier on Antarctica’s King George Island

Insula Meridionalis, the neighborhood in ancient Pompeii where the excavations were conducted

Cool Finds

After Mount Vesuvius Erupted, Pompeii’s Poorest Survivors Lived Amid the Rubble of the Ancient City for Hundreds of Years

Some residents who couldn’t afford to resettle elsewhere returned to the city, where they occupied the upper floors of buildings that had been buried in ash, according to new research

Demonstrators in Berlin last year advocated for increased awareness of ME/CFS.

Scientists Find Links to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Genes and in the Gut Microbiome

Two studies present new data on ME/CFS, offering “credibility and validity” to the experiences of patients struggling with symptoms

Artists Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood

See the Abstract Artworks That Defined Radiohead’s Iconic Visual Style

A new exhibition explores the artistic collaborations between Thom Yorke, the rock band’s frontman, and artist Stanley Donwood, his longtime friend

A large section of the possible La Fortuna shipwreck sits on the beach in southern North Carolina

In the Muddy Banks of North Carolina, Student Archaeologists May Have Discovered the Remnants of a Centuries-Old Spanish Ship

While taking measurements of an abandoned wharf site, the students found timber from what experts believe may be part of La Fortuna, a Spanish ship destroyed nearly 300 years ago

Fragments of the McDonough Meteorite, which fell through the roof of a home in Georgia in June

A Meteorite Tore Through a Georgia Home’s Roof. It Turns Out the Space Rock Is Older Than Our Planet

A planetary geologist finds that the meteorite, which fell in June, came from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

The mural is decorated with blue and yellow pigments.

Cool Finds

This Colorful Mural of Stars and Fish Is the First of Its Kind Found on the Coast of Northern Peru

The 3,000- to 4,000-year-old artwork decorated the wall of a temple atrium during Peru’s Formative Period

A jogger runs past a large honey bear by street artist fnnch at Dolores and Cumberland Streets in San Francisco.

One of San Francisco’s Most Famous Houses Is Hosting a Pop-Up Museum of Street Artist Fnnch’s Honey Bears

Visitors to the Pink Painted Lady near Alamo Square Park will be able to see 116 editions of fnnch’s honey bear paintings

This year, a nearly full moon will make observing the Perseids harder. Here, a meteor is seen on August 3, 2025, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia.

The Popular Perseid Meteor Shower Will Peak This Week—Here’s How to Watch, Despite a Bright Moon

A waning gibbous moon will impact viewing the shooting stars, but the famous meteor shower is still worth observing

Researchers investigated the Mesozoic Era's atmosphere and vegetation by studying oxygen isotopes in dinosaur tooth enamel. This is a replica of a Stan™ T. rex tooth.

Dinosaur Teeth Provide Key Clues to Earth’s Climate Past, Revealing High Levels of Carbon Dioxide

A new study finds that the Mesozoic Era saw significantly higher quantities of the greenhouse gas than both pre-industrial and modern levels, likely due to volcanic activity

The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of comet 3I/ATLAS on July 21. 

See the Sharpest Image Yet of an Interstellar Comet Passing Through the Solar System

Data from the Hubble Space Telescope unveils new information about this mysterious visitor

A researcher outlines how we could send a spacecraft to a nearby black hole. 

Could We Send a Superlight Spacecraft to a Theoretical Nearby Black Hole?

An astrophysicist argues that the interstellar mission would be extremely challenging but not completely unrealistic

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