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An African American soldier is shown cooking at the camp kitchen of 2nd New York Regiment during the Civil War

Cool Finds

The Civil War’s Division of North and South is Reflected in Cookbooks

Naval blockades kept the South starving for salt and other foods, a fact reflected in the recipes of the time

New Research

Chimpanzees Can Learn to Cook

Given a microwave-like tool, chimpanzees become chefs

Cool Finds

In 1938, the NY Times Wrote About a Weird New Food: The Cheeseburger

Apparently, cheese on meat needed some explanation

An artist’s concept of NASA’s Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator

Trending Today

NASA Will Launch a Flying Saucer Soon

Weather has kept the test vehicle, designed to land softly on Mars, grounded for the moment but the launch window is still open

Cool Finds

Japanese Elevators May Soon Have Toilets

Earthquake-trapped travelers could have access to running water in elevators

Secret Service agents grab Gerald Ford seconds after Sara Jane Moore attempts to shoot him in September 1975.

Cool Finds

These Two Female Assassins Independently Tried to Kill Gerald Ford

The only two women to attempt to kill a president did so within 17 days of one another

Male wolf spiders vibrate dead leaves to create purring noises and court females.

Cool Finds

Listen to the Dulcet Purr of a Wolf Spider

Males seduce females by making leaves vibrate

People look at ancient Assyrian human-headed winged bull statues at the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad March 8, 2015.

Trending Today

Museums Issue Most-Threatened List of Iraqi Treasures

Seven types of cultural objects are under threat from the Islamic State and instability in Iraq

Cool Finds

How Bug Guts Slow Down Planes and What Engineers are Doing About it

Designing the most fuel-efficient plane means keeping wings free of sticky exploded bugs

Snail shells found in Lebanon indicate humans were using modern tools before they reached Europe

New Research

Tools Weren’t Invented in Europe, They Were Carried There 50,000 Years Ago

Analysis of shells and human bones from a site in Lebanon suggests modern tools were in use

New Research

The Tallest Muir Woods Redwood Is Way Younger Than Scientists Expected

New dating studies show the tree is only 777 years old

Graphic design student Oskar Pernefeldt envisions a blue and white flag to symbolize Earth's presence on far off planets like Mars.

Does Planet Earth Need Its Own Flag?

Some think we need a universal flag to stake our claim in space

Cool Finds

How People Write Down Their Laughter Has Changed Over Time

“Hehe” means something different than “heehee”

A prototype of the Predictor pregnancy test (left) and the test as it went to market in the late 1970s (right).

Cool Finds

This is What the First Home Pregnancy Test Looked Like

“Predictor” gave results in just two hours

Jeanne Villepreux-Power described how the Paper Nautilus grew its own shell

Cool Finds

A 19th Century Shipwreck Might Be Why This Famous Female Naturalist Faded to Obscurity

Jeanne Villepreux-Power invented the aquarium and studied cephalopods, but today few recognize her name

Cool Finds

New ATMs in China Recognize Your Face

Facial-recognition cash machines were designed to cut down on fraud

Cool Finds

Recycling Company Seeking Woman Who Dumped $200,000 Apple I Computer

The machine was one of just 200 assembled by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the 1970s

Does washing your laundry in warm water really make that much of a difference? Probably not.

The Case for Washing Clothes in Cold Water

Laundry: You’re doing it wrong

One of the LATA 65 students works on a mural in Lisbon.

Cool Finds

Lisbon Artists Are Teaching Graffiti Classes for the Elderly

Grannies learn about street art history and how to tag walls

Every latrine has it's own unique smell.

These Perfumers Are Analyzing the Stench of Toilets

Fair warning: Toilet chemistry is not for the faint of stomach

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