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It’s True: Ancient Gauls Embalmed the Severed Heads of Their Enemies
Chemical analysis shows that ancient accounts of the warriors preserving heads using pine resin are accurate
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Gravity Map Reveals Tectonic Secrets Beneath Antartica’s Ice
Satellite data shows East and West Antarctica have very different geologic histories
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This Is What Happens Inside a Beatboxer’s Mouth When They Perform
MRI scans of vocal percussionists show that beatboxing takes the vocal tract beyond human language
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Ancient Ape Was Just the Size of a House Cat
12.5 million-year-old teeth found in Kenya belonged to a species that ate leaves, but was likely outcompeted by an explosion of monkeys
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The Physics of a Perfect Pizza
It takes just the right amount of heat and conduction to turn dough into the perfect Roman Margherita pizza
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How a Flightless Bird Ended Up on an Island 1,550 Miles Away From Any Mainland
New genetic analysis suggests the bird did not walk to Inaccessible Island, as scientists in the past suggested
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Researchers Can Now Monitor Whales Via Satellite
The latest high resolution satellites can pick out whales surfacing in huge swaths of ocean, which will aid in conservation
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Ambitious Project to Sequence Genomes of 1.5 Million Species Kicks Off
The Earth BioGenome Project promises to revolutionize biology
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The Milky Way Ate One of Its Neighbors 10 Billion Years Ago
Star data shows we gobbled up a galaxy called Gaia-Enceladus about 1/4 the size of the Milky Way, leaving behind telltale signs of the merger
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Dinosaurs May Have Given Birds Their Colorful, Speckled Eggs
A new analysis of fossilized eggshells suggests diversely patterned eggs evolved much earlier than previously believed
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Your Appendix May Be Starting Point for Parkinson’s Disease
Those who have the organ removed have a 20 percent less chance of developing the disease, which is related to protein found in the appendix and the brain
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Was the Vikings’ Secret to Success Industrial-Scale Tar Production?
Evidence suggests that the ability to mass-produce tar bolstered their trade repertoire and allowed them to waterproof and seal their iconic longships
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Hanging Out in Space Deforms Brain Tissue, New Cosmonaut Study Suggests
While gray matter shrinks, cerebrospinal fluid increases. What’s more: These changes do not completely resolve once back on Earth.
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Meet Africa’s Newest Crocodile Species
The African slender-snouted crocodile has been split into two species and both of them are critically endangered
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Lavender’s Lovely Smell Soothes Anxious Behavior in Mice
In mice, at least, lavender may also be as effective at combating anxiety as commonly-prescribed medications
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Salty Water Under the Surface of Mars Could Have Enough Oxygen for Life
New models suggest subsurface water could absorb enough oxygen to support microbial communities and even things like sponges
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Europe’s First Dogs Disappeared After Neolithic Farmers Arrived With Their Own Pups
Genetic analysis shows ancient canines from the Near East slowly replaced indigenous dog populations of that period
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This Little Fish Was Nomming on Flesh 150 Million Years Ago
The Jurassic-era species found in southern Germany had jaws and teeth like a piranha and likely nipped off the fins of other fish
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Remote South Atlantic Islands Are Flooded With Plastic
In less than ten years, plastic pollution around St. Helena, East Falkland and Ascension Islands has increased tenfold, and 100 times in the last 30 years
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A Case of Mistaken Sea Monster Identity
Re-analysis of Kansas fossils show they come from a newborn Tylosaurus, which were born without their tell-tale toothy snouts
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