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Cool Finds

Cool Finds

Oysters Could Save Staten Island From the Next Hurricane Sandy

A living breakwater could prevent future flooding while cleaning polluted waters

An illustration of a prosthetic hand.

Cool Finds

Sensors Designed for Prosthetic Hands Could Lead to New Textile Standards

Haptic sensors might help figure out if thread count really matters

This yellow-bellied watersnake gave birth without male contact in the last eight years.

Cool Finds

In Nature, Virgin Births Are Pretty Common

Fish do it, bugs do it, even some species of snakes do it

Astronomers have discovered strange chemicals in interstellar objects like the Horsehead Nebula.

Cool Finds

Scientists Are Searching for Space Chemicals That Could Never Exist on Earth

Bizarre chemicals in deep space could help explain the origins of life

The Catalan Nativity character known as Caganer in the Santa Llucia Christmas Market, Barcelona, Spain.

Catalonia

Catalonian Nativity Scenes Feature a Man Pooping in the Manger Scene’s Corner

Kids also celebrate Christmas by beating a log until it poops out treats

Cool Finds

A Brief History of Figgy Pudding

The dense, spicy dish has been giving good cheer for centuries

The Ursid meteor shower appears to radiate from the Little Dipper (top right).

Cool Finds

Two Sparkling Meteor Showers Will Bookend the New Year

Sky-watchers should be on the lookout in coming weeks for the Ursid and Quadrantid showers

Cool Finds

Skaters Turned a 100-Year-Old Church Into a Mural-Covered Skatepark

Talk about holy rollers

Part of the Capitol Christmas Tree's splendor comes from marine debris collected along the Alaska coast.

Cool Finds

The Capitol’s Christmas Tree Is (Partially) Made of Trash

Marine debris bedecks a 74-foot tree from Alaska

This architectural drawing shows the VOID that will soon take over suburban Salt Lake City.

Cool Finds

Utah Will Soon Have an Imaginary Theme Park

In 2016, virtual reality fanatics will step into a VR “VOID”

A four-year-old beagle from British Columbia, Miss P was awarded the 2015 Best in The Show at Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

Cool Finds

How to Prep Your Pooch to Win Best in Show

Pro-Tip: hope the judge is in a good mood

A spread of Russian zakuski or small dishes

Cool Finds

Dine Behind the Iron Curtain With Soviet Era Recipes

A new cookbook explores a time of food shortages and standardization, colored with some nostalgia

Old browsers: the bowl cuts of the internet.

Cool Finds

These Old-School Internet Browsers Are Like Real-Life Time Machines

A new tool lets you experience the glory—and embarrassment—of the internet of yore

The branching routes to Rome, as visualized by a design team

Cool Finds

The Many Roads That Lead to Rome, Visualized

Caveat: not all cities named Rome are in Italy

San Francisco's modern-day Chinatown. Old Chinatown was almost completely destroyed during the earthquake of 1906 and the fires that ensued.

Cool Finds

Traces of San Francisco’s Pre-1906 Earthquake Chinatown Uncovered

Old sewing machines shed light on an enclave that city officials once tried to eliminate

The "Great Garuda" seawall will be shaped like Indonesia's national symbol—a mythical, birdlike creature.

Cool Finds

Jakarta Is Building a Gigantic Bird-Shaped Seawall

But will the Great Garuda project be enough to save a sinking city?

A NOAA archaeologist examines the wreck of Two Brothers in Hawaii.

Cool Finds

NOAA Made a Sequel to ‘In the Heart of the Sea’

Because the story that inspired Moby-Dick is just the beginning

Screenshot from Boogie Belgique - Ms. Yutani (official music video)

Cool Finds

Take a Tour of Postwar Tokyo in the 1940s

High-quality archival footage makes a fascinating backdrop in a new music video

Portrait of Suleyman I (1520-1566), 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Cool Finds

Suleiman the Magnificent’s Lost Tomb Might Finally Be Found

Hungarian historians believe they have found the Ottoman sultan’s final resting place

Cool Finds

Explore Laos’ Plain of Jars with Drone Footage

Many parts of the 2,000-year-old-site are off-limits because of Vetnam-era cluster bombs

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