Engraving of General Sherman's "March to the Sea" Library of CongressAs General William Tecumseh Sherman sauntered into Savannah, Georgia, the city at the end of his infamous March to the Sea, , he gave new meaning to the old saying that to the victor go the spoils.To His Excellency President Lincoln, Sherman wrote in a telegram, sent on December 22, 1864, I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton. It was not always evident, especially to Confederates, that Savannah would be the endpoint of Shermans maneuvers through Georgia, according to Noah Andre Trudeau in Southern Storm: Shermans March to the Sea. Before he left Atlanta on November 15, Sherman considered Macon or Augusta, railway hubs and centers of Confederate military production.But newspapers in the North like the Chicago Tribune began to report Shermans plants sweep with the irresistible power of a tornado down into the heart of Georgia and South Carolina early in November.The fall of Charleston and Savannah, the Tribune continued, would constitute a far more disastrous blow to the rebellion than the fall of Richmond.With this crucial goal in mind, Shermans troops left Atlanta and lit out for the next phase of battle on November 15.The troops were noisy and cheerful; full of hope and excitement, wrote David Power Conyngham, an embedded war correspondent in his 1865 book Sherman's March Through The South. For the next 36 days, Shermans troops followed a scorched earth policy as they moved through Georgia.In most instances they burned down houses to cover their depredations, Conyngham wrote of the troops, and in some cases took the lives of their victims, as they would not reveal concealed treasures. These gangs spread like locusts over the country.The plundering en route to Savannah was immense. Sherman estimated $100 million (around $1.5 billion today) in damages to the Southern economy. Economists have measured the effects of agricultural destruction lasting as late as the 1920s. The psychological terror along his 300-mile march was harder to measure.Savannah suffered, too, but not nearly as much. Once it was clear that Shermans men were marching to the sea, freebooters, as Conyngham described the Confederate troops of Joseph Wheeler, a general, had a reign of terror before the Union troops arrived.When we entered the city we found few of the citizens in the streets, Conyngham reported. The poor classes were grouped around, apparently well pleased with the change, for they had nothing to lose, and had suffered much during the war.Savannah surrendered easily. No siege was necessary, and it was spared from Shermans fiery destruction, left as an offering for Lincoln, a sign of the wars coming end.On Boxing Day, fivedays after Savannah fell, Lincoln finally made his reply. Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift, the capture of Savannah, Lincoln wrote. When you were about leaving Atlanta for the Atlantic coast, I was anxious, if not fearful; but feeling that you were the better judge, and remembering that nothing risked, nothing gained, I did not interfere. Now, the undertaking being a success, the honor is all yours.Now that Sherman and his troops had taken Savannah, the March to the Sea was necessarily over. The war was still more than three months from its conclusion, however, and Sherman was restless.But what next? the president asked. I suppose it will be safer if I leave General Grant and yourself to decide.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Confederacy, On This Day in History, US Military

James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, holding a soccer ball and a basket Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsIt was the winter of 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the International YMCA Training School, now known as Springfield College, football season had ended, baseball season had yet to begin, and indoor sports were limited to marching, calisthenics and some gymnastics.The young men in James Naismiths class were restless until, at the request of school superintendent Luther H. Gulick, Naismith invented a new game for his students. He called it basket ball and introduced the game on December 21.Naismith was a 30-year-old graduate student and physical education teacher from Almonte, a mill town in Ontario, Canada. At first, when tasked with his superintendents request for a good indoor sport, he attempted to modify existing games like football and soccer to no avail.As Naismith wrote in his posthumously published 1941 book, Basketball: Its Origin and Development, I began to study games from the philosophical side, analyzing the common elements of popular sports. An illustration from Naismith's original 13 rules of basketball Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsA good game, he reasoned, had to be easily learned. Games with small ballsbaseball, tennis, cricket, lacrosserequired additional equipment, like a stick, bat or racquet, that took time to master. Sports that used big balls, like rugby and football, were more easily learned, but tackling would not work indoors. So players of this new sport, Naismith concluded, should not run with the ball.Drawing inspiration from childhood memories of a game called Duck on a Rockin which one team of kids tossed rocks to try and knock the other teams duck (a separate rock) off a larger rockNaismith concluded that the ball should be thrown in an arc into a horizontal goal, so as not to encourage roughness.With a soccer ball and two peach baskets he borrowed from the gyms building manager, Naismith set up a court and tacked a preliminary set of rules on the bulletin board.Some of Naismiths original rules of the game remain today. Rule 1: The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. Rule 3: A player cannot run with the ball. Rule 13: The side making the most goals shall be declared the winner.KU Origins: James Naismith's rules of basketballWatch on But nascent basketball had critical differences from todays game. Naismith made no provision for dribbling, for instance: Once a player had possession, they had to shoot or pass the ball. After two fouls, a player had to sit out until the next basket was made, and any three fouls in a row for one team resulted in a point for the opponent.When the first student walked into class on December 21, he gave what sounded like a death knell to the nervous Naismith: Huh! Another new game!Though quaint equipment slowed the pace of the game, and the players had to retrieve the ball from the closed peach baskets after every point, the first few games were a success.The players were interested and seemed to enjoy the game, Naismith wrote. Word soon got around that they were having fun and only a few days after the first game we began to have a gallery.The first public basketball game was held in Springfield on March 11, 1892, in front of 200 spectators. The players were teachers (including Naismith) versus students. The University of Kansas basketball team in 1899. Naismith is standing in the back row at the far right. Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsOne teacherfamous football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg, who was working at the school at the timemanaged to have a hand in every scrimmage, the Springfield Republican wrote. But his football expertise hampered him. He was perpetually making fouls by shoving his opponents.The teachers worked hard and performed wonders of agility and strength, the Republican reported, but they were not in it with the students, who had the advantage in science. The students won the game 5-1.As basketball spread around the United States and the world as a popular indoor sport, aided by the YMCA network, it evolved to include open-bottomed baskets, dribbling and its own specialized ball, eventually taking the shape of todays game.In recognition of the sports founder, who remained an educator at Springfield College and the University of Kansas, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame was established after his death. Naismith, fittingly, was part of its very first class.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

With its clear, dark skies, Colorado's Browns Canyon National Monument is an ideal spot to admire planets, constellations and the Milky Way. Joe and Kimmie Randall / DarkSky InternationalOutdoor adventurers flock to Browns Canyon National Monument to paddle the whitewater rapids of the Arkansas River, hike among the pinyon pine and juniper trees, fish for brown and rainbow trout and admire wildlife like golden eagles and bighorn sheep.Now, the 21,586-acre protected wilderness area in central Colorado is also hoping to attract another kind of visitor: stargazers. This week, Browns Canyon National Monument became a certified International Dark Sky Park, a designation that recognizes its clear, inky-black skies and lack of light pollution.Browns Canyon is now the 18th certified International Dark Sky Place and the 12th International Dark Sky Park in Colorado. The designation comes from DarkSky International, a nonprofit that promotes dark-sky conservation and education efforts around the world. Since 2001, the organization has certified more than 200 Dark Sky Places in 22 countries on six continents, for a total area of more than 62,000 square miles of recognized dark areas. Whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River is one of the most popular activities in Browns Canyon National Monument. Bureau of Land ManagementBrowns Canyon National Monument sits between 7,300 to 10,000 feet above sea level, and its located roughly 100 miles from the nearest large city, Colorado Springs. These factors, coupled with the states dry climate, made Browns Canyon naturally suited for night sky viewing.Still, the national monument had to make an effort to ensure it met DarkSky Internationals rigorous certification standards. For example, some of the light fixtures that illuminate the parks campsites were contributing too much light pollution. Through a period of trial and error that lasted many months, staff designed a shield to retrofit each light and prevent its glow from emanating upward onto the sky.The staffs ingenuity in bringing the monuments lighting into full compliance is something worthy of praise and promotion, says Michael Rymer, a program associate with DarkSky International, in a statement.Friends of Browns Canyon, a local organization that spearheaded the certification initiative, also took light meter readings and hosted concerts, fundraisers, night sky events and photography excursions to help strengthen the sites case. The group even hired a contractor to help with the application. Moving forward, Browns Canyon employees will offer more night sky programming to visitors. Bighorn sheep, golden eagles, black bears, bobcats and many other creatures live in Browns Canyon National Monument. Bureau of Land ManagementPresident Barack Obama established Browns Canyon National Monument in 2015, citing its unique geology, diverse plants, abundant animals and long human history.Evidence suggests humans have inhabited the region for at least 11,000 years, including the ancestors of the Eastern Shoshone, Ute, Apache and Comanche peoples. Researchers have identified at least 18 archaeological sites and 5 prehistoric open lithic sites within its bounds, including the remains of seasonal camps, stone structures, rock shelters and open campsites. During the mid-19th century, Browns Canyon attracted fortune-seekers hoping to strike it rich by mining gold.Today, its inhabitants are animals, including mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, peregrine falcons and western rattlesnakes. Browns Canyon National Monument sits between 7,300 and 10,000 feet above sea level in central Colorado. Bureau of Land ManagementAlso this week, Oregon got its newest certified dark sky park. Cottonwood Canyon State Park, a 16,000-acre natural area in the north-central part of the state, was officially recognized after four years of work.Located along the John Day River, the remote park is nestled within deep canyon walls, which means visitors have nearly unobstructed views of stars, planets, meteors and the Milky Way. And, to educate guests about the importance of protecting dark skies, the park also installed interpretive signs and began hosting star parties during each new moon in the summer.Experts say light pollution is a growing issue around the globe. A 2023 study found that, thanks to the proliferation of artificial lighting, the night sky got 9.6 percent brighter, on average, each year between 2011 and 2022. That extra brightness not only makes it more difficult to see stars and planets, but is also affecting animal behavior and human health.Looking up at the sky, as Kim Arcand, a visualization scientist with the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, told Smithsonian magazines Brian Handwerk last year, means we are looking at stars that produce the same elements found in our bodies, like iron and calcium.There are very good reasons to protect dark skies for astronomys sake, Arcand said, but it all comes back to those same questions humans have been asking across the millennia: Where do we come from? Why are we here? And where are we going?Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Astronomers, Astronomy, Family Travel, Outdoor Travel, Outer Space, Pollution, Recreation, Travel

In Bastogne, Belgium, dignitaries and American veterans who fought in the Battle of the Bulge gathered to commemorate the conflict's 80th anniversary. U.S. Army / Kristin SavageOn December 16, 1944, more than 200,000 German soldiers launched a surprise attack on Allied troops in a forested region of Belgium and Luxembourg known as the Ardennes. The ensuing World War II conflictwhich lasted until January 25, 1945became known as the Battle of the Bulge.In the end, the Allies managed to quash Adolf Hitlers last-ditch effort to win the war. But their victory, which paved the way for a full Nazi defeat, came at a high cost: More than75,000 American troops were killed, wounded or went missing in the conflict.This month marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Bulge. Some of the few surviving American veterans gathered in Belgium and Luxembourg last weekendalong with American lawmakers and other dignitariesfor several commemorative events.Now in their late 90s and early 100s, the aging former service members hope to keep the Battle of the Bulges memory alive to prevent any future war, as David Marshall, a 100-year-old veteran who manned a mortar during the conflict, told theAssociated Press Virginia Mayo and Bryan Carter last week.Other veterans echoed that sentiment, including Joseph R. Picard, who was just 19 when he fought in the deadly battle.[Younger Americans] dont know much about it, Picard toldStars and Stripes Phillip Walter Wellman at an event in Bastogne, Belgium, on December 14. And you know what they say: If you dont keep the story alive, its going to happen again. We dont want it to happen again.Living History: Battle of the Bulge (Part 3)Watch on Earlier this year, veterans and officials commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandyan invasion that would ultimately set the stage for the Battle of the Bulge. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 American, British and Canadian soldiers arrived on a 50-mile stretch of Frances coastline in what was thelargest amphibious attack in history.Over that summer, Allied troops slowly advanced into northern France and Belgium. The Allies liberated Paris in August 1944, then headed east toward the border with Germany.The Battle of the Bulge was Hitlers counteroffensive. German soldiers initially outnumbered Allied forces and were able to penetrate the front line so deeply they made a large bump, or bulge, which is how the battle got its name.But soon, reinforcements showed up. Fighting in cold, snowy weather, the Allies held on and eventually retook the ground they had lost.The frigid winter conditions are what many surviving veterans remember most to this day.It started out rainy and foggy, but it got colder, American veteran Harry Miller tells theWashington Posts David Kindy. Then we had snow up to our hips. I had an overcoat that was like a horse blanket. When it got wet, it was heavy and cumbersome. We slept under tanks or on the ground. It was so cold and miserable. The Battle of the Bulge was fought in cold, snowy conditions. U.S. ArmyBy the end of January 1945, the Allies had succeeded in pushing the Nazis back to Germany. The Germans suffered between 80,000 and 100,000 casualties in the battle and used up much of their supply of weapons, vehicles and other equipment.That was the beginning of the end of the war in Europe, says Mike Malone, director of veterans affairs for the Best Defense Foundation, a nonprofit that supports American veterans, to theAsbury Park Press Jerry Carino. It was an incredible outpouring of grit from these guys, who were 18 and 19 years old and barely had enough clothes on during this freezing winter.Winston Churchill, then the British prime minister,described the Battle of the Bulge as the greatest American battle of the war and a conflict that would be regarded as an ever-famous American victory. Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe (right) was given a Distinguished Service Cross by General George S. Patton (left) for his leadership during the Battle of the Bulge. U.S. ArmyOne of the mostmemorable moments of the conflict occurred just before Christmas in Bastogne, when the Germans demanded that the American troops surrender. American Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe famously replied NUTS!So there would be no misinterpretation, an officer translated It means the same as Go to Hell, according to a January 1945 issue ofTime magazine.After a commemorative parade in Bastogne earlier this month, attendees honored this reply bytossing nuts from the balcony of the citys town hall.This years commemorative World War II events were special because Normandy, D-Day and [the Battle of the Bulge] are the last anniversaries that well be celebrating because there won't be any veterans five years from now, American veteran Jack Moran tellsWCVBs Shaun Chaiyabhat.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: European History, Government, History, Nazis, US Government, US Military, Warfare, Weapons, World War II

The invasive northern giant hornet, also called a murder hornet, has been eradicated from the United States. Karen Ducey / Getty ImagesThe name alone advertises that this insect is no joke: When the murder hornet was first spotted in the North American continent in 2019, entomologists were abuzz with worry and sprang into action to eradicate the invasive species.Five years laterand after four nests were successfully destroyedofficials have declared a rare victory against the murder hornets for having exterminated them from United States soil.Ive gotta tell you, as an entomologistIve been doing this for over 25 years now, and it is a rare day when the humans actually get to win one against the insects, Sven Spichiger, pest program manager with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, told journalists in a virtual news conference, per Gene Johnson of the Associated Press.The murder hornet, more formally known as the northern giant hornet or the Vespa mandarinia, is originally from northern parts of Asia, such as Japan and China. Its the largest member of the wasp family, measuring two inches in length. Their stingers deliver as much venom as a snake or seven times that of a honeybee. That makes its stings excruciatingone victim described the pain as like having red-hot thumbtacks being driven into my fleshand it also makes them deadly. These hornets cause an estimated 30 to 50 human deaths each year in Japan, not all of them due to venom allergy. An entomologist shows off the size difference between a dead northern giant hornet (bottom) and a dead bald-faced hornet, which is a native species. Elaine Thompson / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesMoreover, giant hornets are known for their grisly methods for bee murderunfortunate beekeepers have found their hives filled with bee carcasses, the heads ripped from their bodies. The rapacious killers can wipe out an entire bee colony within hours. Asian bees that have evolved alongside these predators have developed a curious way of dealing with their threats: Bees will swarm onto the hornet interloper and beat their wings until they cook their quarry alive. Such bee-induced temperatures have been measured to reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit.Bees in the U.S. and Europe, however, have yet to devise similar defensive strategies. So, murder hornets pose a major threat not just to bees but also to other local insects. In areas where agriculture is a key economic driver and thus is dependent on pollinators, such murder hornet sightings can be a major cause for concern.Bees Kill A Giant Hornet With Heat | Buddha, Bees and The Giant Hornet Queen | BBC EarthWatch on The first murder hornet sighting in the United States occurred in Whatcom County in northwest Washington, an area near the Canadian border that produces millions of pounds of raspberries and blueberries annually, according to Mike Baker of the New York Times. The report came just about four months after a separate murder hornet detection on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Officials said the first hornet to reach North America likely stowed away in a shipping container or plant pots.These first observations triggered a flurry of pest control activity to hunt the hunters. Pest managers created search grids and set traps. Trackers used thermal cameras to scan the forest floors in search of the hornet colonys signature heat. For live individuals that were captured, entomologists tied tiny trackers onto their bellies using dental floss to suss out the location of their nests. Sven Spichiger, Washington State Department of Agriculture managing entomologist, holds a canister of Asian giant hornets vacuumed from their nest on October 24, 2020, in Blaine, Washington. Elaine Thompson / POOL / AFP via Getty ImagesNow, officials think their multi-year efforts have paid off in the state. There have been no confirmed sightings of murder hornets in the last three years, enough to clear the bar for a pronouncement of eradication, according to the definition of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In October, officials received a tip of a giant hornet sighting 100 miles away from the original nest site, but they found no evidence confirming the report. But to be safe, the officials set up traps in the area and plan to continue the effort through next year.If the entire community hadnt stood up and taken action, there is a real good chance that we would just all be living with the northern giant hornet, even for years to come, Spichiger told the New York Times. It is a very difficult task to eradicate an insect once it has become well-established.Experts are celebrating for now, but they recognize the achievement came only at great hassle. It proves that the permanent removal of invasive species is possible, but only when given ample funding and public attention, entomologist Chris Alice Kratzer, author of The Social Wasps of North America, tells National Geographics James Bittel.The victory against murder hornets doesnt mean they wont pop up again in the future. Another wayward insect might find its way to U.S. shores again. We will continue to be vigilant, Spichiger tells the AP.Elsewhere, humans are waging war against other kinds of invasive insects. Georgia and South Carolina are fending off the invasion of the yellow-legged hornet, a smaller relative of the giant hornet that also makes quick work of local pollinators. In northern Spain, officials are scrambling to contain the recent invasion of the southern giant hornet, a second blow to the beekeeping sector thats already spread thin from the assault of another hornet, the Vespa veluntina.In an increasingly interconnected world, where humans and trade crisscross the globe, species invasion will only grow more common without intervention. Models predict that insect invasions will increase by 36 percent between 2005 and 2050. Since the mid-1800s, at least 930 foreign insect species have snuck onto U.S. soil. The terrorizing hornet is yet one more instance in humankinds long history of unwitting pest introductions, and it likely won't be the last.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Agriculture, Animals, Bees, Biology, Ecology, Good News, Insects, Invasive Species

Researchers Find 13 Proteins in the Blood That Are Seemingly Linked to Brain AgingThough experts say more work is needed to understand the findings, this line of study might offer a way to monitor age-related cognitive disorders and target treatmentGayoung LeeDecember 20, 2024 1:12 p.m. Researchers looked at brain scan data and results from blood tests to search for correlation between certain proteins and brain aging. dem10 via Getty ImagesChinese neurologists have identified 13 proteins in the blood that appear to be good indicators of how fast our brains age.In the future, this information could help monitor aging in the brain and keep tabs on age-related cognitive disorders, like dementia. But other experts say a closer investigation is needed before we can be certain that these proteins are truly tied to brain aging.In a paper published this month in Nature Aging, a team of scientists analyzed almost 11,000 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans from people ages 45 to 82 that were included in the U.K. Biobank. They used artificial intelligence to determine the brain age of the scans based on features including brain volume and surface areaessentially, they predicted how old a person is based on their brain data. This brain age number can be different from the chronological age of the individual and can shed light on cognitive aging and risk for neurodegenerative diseases.The higher the A.I.-predicted age is relative to their actual age, the faster their brain is aging, explains study lead author Wei-Shi Liu, a neurologist at Fudan University in Shanghai, to New Scientists Carissa Wong.Next, researchers appraised the concentration of 3,000 proteins in the participants blood, to determine which proteinsdelivered to the brain via blood vesselswere associated with brain age. They concluded that 13 proteinseight linked to fast brain aging, and five linked to slow agingappeared connected to the brain age. Certain proteins that affect cellular stress and inflammation increased with age, while others that help with maintenance tasks like cell regeneration dwindled, reports Live Sciences Emily Cooke.Determining this correlation is a notable feat, as previous studies with the same objective had involved fewer than 1,000 people, Nicholas Seyfried, a neurologist at Emory University who was not involved in the study, tells New Scientist. Not only that, the scientists focus on brain age sets the study apart from previous work that examined proteins alongside the real age of the individual, as Liu tells Nature News Miryam Naddaf. Scientists suggest that studying the "brain age gap" can inform us about how quickly our brains are aging. izusek via Getty ImagesStudying biomarkers related to an individuals biological brain age could be a more targeted approach for finding and identifying age-related issues with the brain. And for Lius team, this allowed for a direct analysis of the protein composition in the blood of individuals with a large gap between their brain age and actual age.They also found that certain proteins linked to brain aging underwent significant changes in level at the brain ages of 57, 70 and 78, per the paper. These peaks have different implications, which may be helpful in the early diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders, Liu says to Nature News.For instance, blood tests for these proteins could provide critical information about how fast an individuals brain is aging. These markers could be the canary in the coal mine to tell you, hey, look, lets start intervening to slow your brain aging now, while youve got enough time, Seyfried says to New Scientist.However, some experts have pointed to limitations of the studys findings, which Lius team has also acknowledged. The idea that aging comes in three waves goes against pretty much everything that is known about brain aging, says Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine who was not involved in the study, to Live Science.Additionally, exactly where these 13 proteins come from in the brain is unknown. Until levels of those proteins in the brain are established, it will be unclear whether they actually play a role in brain aging, Mattson adds. But he did find the correlations with brain age interesting.Others also point out that the individuals studied for the paper were mostly white, wealthy people. Further research involving more diverse ethnicities and income levels will be necessary to determine whether the results are more widely applicable.Nevertheless, Liu is hopeful that the 13 proteins his team identified could help guide future treatments for brain diseases. With these comments in mind, the team now plans to continue with their research and address others concerns. In the next couple decades, this could open up ways to target the proteins to slow aging and disease, he tells New Scientist.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Aging, Brain, Cognition, Health, Neuroscience, New Research

A portrait of Ian McKellen (center) hanging alongside depictions of (from left to right) Frances Barber, Charles Dance, Harriet Walter and Simon Callow StageBlockAn exhibition at theRed Eight Gallery in London is immortalizing the greatestShakespearean actors of our time through portraits that can blink, breathe and rattle off soliloquies.For hundreds of years, artists have captured the theaters greatest actors through portraiture. The new show, titled The Shakespeare Portraits (Act I), aims to update the practice by bringing the thespians to life using state-of-the-art technology.The show includes ten digital portraits of contemporary actorsincluding celebrities likePatrick Stewart andIan McKellenreciting lines from various Shakespeare plays. However, the portraits are not just small films that play on loop. Artnets Juliet Stevenson's portrait at London's Red Eight Gallery StageBlockMichael Billington, a critic for the Guardian, writes that he was struck by the intimacy of the experience.I sat beneath a large, framed image of Ian McKellen, and as I spoke to the exhibitions creative director,Arsalan Sattari-Hicks, I realised that Sir Ians head was occasionally moving, that his gaze was subtly shifting and his features expressing a variety of emotions, he adds.The portraits were made by StageBlock, a tech studio that creates new kinds of interactive art. The actors worked with the studio, posing for a camera and reciting their lines.Museumgoers can hear the speeches by pressing a button. Each of the ten actors infuses their own spin on their chosen Shakespeare text, giving viewers an up-close look at how they bring the Bards lines to life.Ian McKellen delivers all the worlds a stage fromAs You Like It,Derek Jacobi offers upHamlets to be or not to be, writes Artnet. Harriet Walter turns toProsperos Ye elves of hill fromThe Tempest,David Suchet performsMacbeths infamous lines on the futility of life tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow (a role Suchet has never played).The Shakespeare Portraits by Stage BlockWatch on StageBlock is hoping that viewers will not only see the novelty in the new pieces, but also treat them as lasting works of art that can be hung in galleries and sold to interested buyers.Its a bold, visionary new idea for the digital age, but I hope it wont stifle the talent of the individual portraitist, writes Billington of the Guardian. I cherish the notion of, say, Salvador Dals painting of Olivier as Richard III hanging on a gallery wall alongside the mesmerizing image of McKellen looking on at one in watchful fascination.The tech company also plans to make an Act II of the show, which will feature a second round of Shakespearean actors in new digital portraits next year.This collection is the culmination of profound collaborations with some of the most iconic actors of our time, says Sattari-Hicks in a statement. This is only the beginning, with many renowned home-grown and international talents already in line for future collections.The Shakespeare Portraits (Act I) is on view at the Red Eight Gallery in London through January 10, 2025.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Actors, Arts, British Writers, Celebrities, Digital Art, Exhibitions, Exhibits, Film, Movies, Museums, Painting, Portraiture, Theater, Visual Arts, William Shakespeare

The new quarter design featuring Ida B. Wells, the suffragist, journalist and civil rights activist The U.S. MintThe U.S. Mint has announced the five trailblazing American women who will be depicted on quarters released in 2025: Ida B. Wells, a journalist and civil rights activist; Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA; Vera Rubin, a pioneering astronomer; Stacey Park Milbern, a disability activist; and Althea Gibson, a legendary golfer and tennis player.The new coins are part of the American Women Quarters Program, which began in 2022. The initiative was created to circulate 25-cent coins demonstrating what can be possible with determination, perseverance and the indomitable spirit of American women, per the programs website.This program has recognized the remarkable legacies of these extraordinary she-roes, says Ventris C. Gibson, the Mints director, in astatement. These beautiful American Women quarters will be in circulation for decades to come and continue to educate the American people on our incredible honorees. This coin celebratesAlthea Gibson, the first Black tennis player to win a Grand Slam event The U.S. MintTo select its honorees, the Mint asked for nominations from the public. The Secretary of the Treasury then narrowed down the list in collaboration with the Smithsonians American Womens History Initiative, the National Womens History Museum and the Congressional Bipartisan Womens Caucus.We started with quarters in 2022, and weve been doing five women a year, Kristie McNally, the Mints deputy director, tells WJLA-TVs Good Morning Washington. This is our last year. This is the last five women that were highlighting, so were super excited.The five portraits will appear on the reverse side of the coins. Each design will reflect the accomplishments of the women it honors.Low is depicted beside the Girl Scouts trefoil logo, which she created and patented. Rubin, set against a backdrop of celestial objects, gazes to the sky. Wells stands beside the words journalist, suffragist, civil rights activist. Milbern is shown speaking from her wheelchair beside the words disability justice, while Gibson stands behind a net holding a tennis racket. Laura Gardin Fraser created this likeness of George Washington in the early 20th century. The U.S. MintThe front of the quarters will still display George Washington, but not the design created by John Flanagan thats typically used, which first appeared in 1932. Instead, they will feature sculptor Laura Gardin Frasers design, which was passed over in favor of Flanagans. While Frasers depiction of Washington is similar to Flanagans, it shows the president facing the opposite direction.There are now 20 women who have been honored by the American Women Quarters Program.Elizabeth C. Babcock, the director of the Smithsonian American Womens History Museum, tellsArtnets Sarah Cascone that the group includes artists, scientists, astronauts, Indigenous leaders, composers, dancers and activists.When you look at how we tell American history now, what kids grow up learning in school and in their textbooks, there are these gaps there. Women are just not represented, Babcock says. But were 51 percent of the population, and we were there during all those historic moments that shaped American history.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Activism, American History, Art, Arts, Astronomers, Astronomy, Civil Rights, Disability, Disability History, History, Sports, Women in Science, Women's History

A California ground squirrel carries a vole in its mouth after hunting the rodent. Sonja Wild, UC DavisIn the rolling green hills of Californias Briones Regional Park, not far from the urban bustle of Oakland and Berkeley, the squirrels are not what they seem.Instead of simply stuffing their cheeks with fruits, nuts or seeds, the California ground squirrels there are now known to hunt, kill, decapitate and consume voles, a fellow rodent species, according to research published Wednesday in the Journal of Ethology.This was shocking, study lead author Jennifer E. Smith, a professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, says in a statement. We had never seen this behavior before.Most people are very familiar with squirrels, accustomed to seeing the animals on their streets or in their yards. And Smith is even more sosince 2013, she has led the Long-term Behavioral Ecology of California Ground Squirrels Project, which monitors squirrel genetics, social behavior and physiological stress responses in the San Francisco Bay area. But even with her intimate knowledge of the rodents, it was only this year that her research team observed ground squirrels actively pursuing and eating meat.The initial discovery was made by undergraduate researchers, who returned from the field site in Briones Regional Park earlier this year with videos of the squirrels behavior to show their incredulous supervisors.At first, we questioned what was going on, Smith tells Suzie Dundas of SFGATE. But seeing the videos was astounding and shifted my perspective on a species that I have spent the last 12 years of my life studying.Vole hunting: Novel predatory and carnivorous behavior by California ground squirrelsWatch on Smith and her team documented 74 interactions between ground squirrels and voles between June and July. In 42 percent of the interactions, the squirrels were hunting the smaller rodents.From then, we saw that behavior almost every day, Sonja Wild, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, who co-leads the project with Smith, says in the statement. Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.Though theyre largely vegetarians, squirrels have long been known to occasionally consume insects, small bird eggs or meat left out by humans, but direct study of hunting behavior by squirrels remains rare, according to the study. This widespread carnivorous behavior, Smith tells SFGATE, was therefore groundbreaking.In most recorded cases included in the paper, a single squirrel would pursue a single vole across the open landscape, rather than lying in wait or hunting in a group. Sometimes with a stalking motion and a pounce, it would tackle the vole, restrain it with its forepaws, bite the voles neck and remove its head. Then, the squirrel would either strip the fur from the vole to expose cartilage, meat and organs, or tear the meat directly out from the torso.The authors of the study suggest this change in diet is a response to a booming vole population. Using reports from citizen scientists on iNaturalist, an app that allows users to submit photos of plants and animal sightings, the researchers found vole abundance in the state was seven times greater this year than over a ten-year average, and sightings were particularly high in Briones Regional Park.What is most striking and incredible is the speed at which they shifted their behavior to this local surge in vole abundance, Smith tells CNNs Julianna Bragg.Its a wonderful way for them to capitalize on a very abundant resource to provide enough sustenance for many [squirrels] to use, John Koprowski, a wildlife biologist at the University of Wyoming who was not involved in the study, tells CNN. Tia Ravara from UW-Eau Claire, left, and Ryann Su of UC Davis, both members of the research group called "Team Squirrel," watch a California ground squirrel during the 2023 field season. Sonja Wild, UC DavisSquirrels of all ages and sexes took part in the vole hunt, an indication that this dietary flexibility is widespread across the species and may serve as a crucial survival mechanism in response to fluctuating environmental conditions, especially in areas with high human populations.In the face of human insults such as climate change and drought, these animals are resilient and have the potential to adapt to live in a changing world, Smith adds.If acorn or seeds fall into low supply, for instance, squirrels appear primed to find other sources of protein and nutrients. The less stubborn an animal is about its diet, the better suited it is for survival. Although in this case, the squirrels dont seem to be motivated by a scarcity of any other food source, per SFGATE, rather, the high population of voles appears to be the reason for their hunting.But because the study was focused on one regional park, it is unclear if the squirrels behavior willor already hasspread across the state. It is also unknown if the taste for fellow rodents (and the hunting techniques used to capture them) will be passed onto future generations of squirrels once this vole surge abates. What the opportunistic squirrels door eatnext remains to be seen.Digital technology can inform the science, Smith says in the statement, but theres no replacement for going out there and witnessing the behavior, because what animals are doing always surprises us.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, California, Hunting, Mammals, New Research, Rodents and Shrews, Scientists, Squirrels

This year, Smithsonian magazine published more than 900 science stories. Most of those appeared in ourSmart News Science section, but we also published more than 100features, in addition to reprinting stellar pieces from other sites and sharing theoccasional book excerpt. Our stories included a feature on the discovery ofthe worlds oldest scrap of skin, an interview with a computer scientist and meteorologist onusing artificial intelligence to predict extreme weather, a photo gallery ofstunning images captured by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory over its 25-year history, several pieces on viral animals includingFlaco the owl andMoo Deng the hippo, a feature onscientists examining the rocks from the asteroid Bennu, and a news article examining a51,200-year-old cave painting that may be the earliest known instance of visual storytelling. Though these pieces were important and captivatingand many could have made our list of the top ten moments of the yearfor various reasons, other stories won out.Though we considered metrics like page views and readers time spent reading each article, we mostly picked our top ten the old-fashioned way. As the sites two science editors, we both met several times over the latter part of the year and discussed at length what to include. We were looking not only at events or discoveries that represented the biggest scientific milestones, but also at those moments or finds that inspired the most awe. And we wanted stories that represented a diversity of fieldsastronomy, climatology, geology, meteorology, biology and archaeology all made it into our final list.In the end, we picked ten stories that covered the scope of topics we published on throughout the year, often catered to subjects our readers like to spend time with. Leaving some significant events and amazing discoveries out is always difficult, but we think we ended up with a diverse collection of memorable stories that highlight what an important year 2024 was for science.A total solar eclipse wowed North American viewers People gather at Green-Wood Cemetery in New York City to witness a partial solar eclipse. Michael Nigro / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty ImagesOn April 8,tens of millions of North Americans donned funky glasses and looked skyward at a total solar eclipse.Such a rare and spectacular celestial event occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earthand our beloved satellite casts a shadow over a patch beneath it, creating darkness during the day. Over the course ofan hour and 40 minutes, this years path of totalitythe area marked by total darknessstretched from Mazatln, Mexico, to Newfoundland, Canada.An estimated 32 million people resided in the path, andanother 12 million people were expected to travel to the area, defining the moment asone of the biggest mass-transit events to ever occur in the United States. Throughout world history,ancient civilizations that witnessed solar eclipses thought them to be anything from a message from the gods to a signal to end a battle. This year, amateur astronomers, knowing what to expect, pointed high-end cameras at the moon and sun to capturestunning images, whilecitizen scientists noted unusual animal behavior around them.Unless North American residents travel beyond the lower 48, they will not have another opportunity to view a total solar eclipseuntil 2044, making this years occurrence even more special. In all,a couple hundred million people had the ability to see at least a partial eclipse. In Washington, D.C., while viewing a partial eclipse, National Air and Space Museum curator Teasel Muir-Harmony noted the importance of the occasion. This, she told the Associated Press, may be the most viewed astronomical event in history. Joe SpringScientists unveiled the first-ever complete map of an adult fruit flys brain Researchers mapped all 139,255 neurons in the brain of an adult fruit fly, which are linked by more than 50 million synapses. Tyler Sloan for FlyWire, Princeton University, (Dorkenwald, S. et al. Nature 634, 124138 (2024))The brain of a fruit fly is no larger than a poppy seed, but to chart the intricacies of its cells took a historic collaboration, leveraging hundreds of volunteers, an artificial intelligence model and thousands of painstakingly imaged brain slices. In October, that effort came to fruition when researchers unveiled a nine-paper package published in Nature that described the first-ever full map of an adult fruit flys brain.The stunning diagram contains roughly 140,000 neuronsincluding 8,453 different types of neuronsand more than 54.5 million connections among them, known as synapses. The findings represent the most complex map of a complete brain to date.By following the connections throughout the insects brain, scientists are even beginning to parse which parts of the organ have certain functions. They created a computerized version of the model brain and simulated exposing it to various stimuli. It reacted just as a fly wouldwhen presented with a sugary scent, the model activated the brain region for sticking out its proboscis.But that wasnt the only leap forward in brain mapping this yearin May, scientists released a data set charting the neurons, synapses and connections in a tiny piece of a human brain. The study, published in Science, details the complexity packed into a little slice of an anterior temporal lobe, thought to be involved in memory. The team mapped 57,000 cells and 150 million synapses, demonstrating the dense connections among them.Though it might not seem like it, the human brain has a lot in common with that of a fruit fly. Some 75 percent of the genes that cause genetic diseases in humans are also found in fruit flies, so understanding their neural underpinnings could shed light on our own. Fruit flies sing, get drunk and can be kept awake with caffeine, suggesting even more similarities between their brains and ours. As Sebastian Seung, a co-senior author of the research, told the Guardians Ian Sample, if we can truly understand how any brain functions, its bound to tell us something about all brains. Carlyn Kranking2024 marked the hottest year on record Boys bathe at a public water facility along a street on a hot June day during a heat wave in Jalandhar, India. Shammi Mehra / AFP via Getty ImagesOnce again, were ending a year that is set to be the hottest on record. According to leading weather and climate organizations,2024 is on track to eclipse 2023 for the warmest temperatures since records have been kept. Just about any time readers looked onlineApril, June,Augustheadlines noted the hottest given month of its kind in history. In fact, from June 2023 to September 202416 consecutive monthsthe global average temperature exceeded previous records for each month, according to the World Meteorological Organization. In all, 2024 is expected to be the first yearEarth is more than 1.5 Celsius hotter than the pre-industrial period. That one-year record does not mean the world has breached the Paris Agreement goal to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 Celsius, as such a markhas to be sustained over a longer period. But the past decade has been the warmest on record, and experts say this years highsignals a dangerous milestone.Global warming continues to accelerate,caused primarily by the burning of oil, gas and coal, which release heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased bymore than 50 percent since 1750, and they are set for a new record again this year. As they increase,glaciers recede, the ocean grows hotter, sea level rises, andthe most extreme weather disasters are made worse.The record-breaking rainfall and flooding, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, relentless drought, and raging wildfires that we have seen in different parts of the world this year are unfortunately our new reality and a foretaste of our future,Celeste Saulo, the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, said in a statement. We urgently need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen our monitoring and understanding of our changing climate. J.S.Dams were torn down on the Klamath River, clearing a path for salmon The Klamath River flows through Wards Canyonupstream from where the Copco No. 1 dam once stood. Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesSalmon returned to Oregons Klamath Basin for the first time in 112 years in October, aided by a historic dam demolition project. Four dams were torn downthe largest undertaking of its kind in U.S. historyto restore the Klamath River in California and Oregon to its historic flow.The $500 million effort removed aging dams that had been constructed in the 20th century, some having stood for more than 100 years. After the smallest dam, Copco No. 2, was taken down in fall 2023, the remaining three were deconstructed this year, beginning in January. The gates of each dam, in turn, were opened slowly, giving passage to the water that had built up behind them. Then, crews removed the remaining aging infrastructure.Decades of advocacy by local Native American tribes and environmentalists helped lead to the projects approval in November 2022. These pleas were centered on restoring the health of the river and once again providing salmon with an unobstructed migration path upstream to their birth waters, where they return to spawn as adults.Since the dams have been taken out, experts reported fewer algal blooms and that the water temperature was 14 degrees Fahrenheit cooler, conditions that help prevent some bacterial infections in salmon. Toz Soto, fisheries program manager with the Karuk tribe, said at a press conference that the fish coming up the river were really healthy. Others echoed that sentiment: Karuk tribe member Ron Reed told the Los Angeles Times Ian James that the salmon have been so much more beautiful this year. C.K.Two hurricanes destroyed parts of the Southeast Community members look through debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Marshall, North Carolina. Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe 2024 Atlantic hurricane season started off this summer with the stormsBeryl,Debby andFrancine, but the season really walloped the U.S. in the fall, when two powerful back-to-back hurricanes devastated the Southeast.Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 storm on September 26, then moved north over the Southeast U.S. andcaused wreckage across the region, especially in western North Carolina. The storm spurred landslides,destroyed wildlife habitat, knocked out power to millions of people and flooded towns. More than 200 people across six states died due to the storm, making it thedeadliest hurricane since Katrina. Not long after that,on October 9 and 10,Hurricane Milton whirled across Florida, spawning tornadoes and leaving rubble andat least 24 people dead in its wake.Both hurricanes hadcharacteristics consistent with climate changes impact on storms. With warmer temperatures, storms are intensifying more rapidly.Helene grew disturbingly fast and Hurricane Milton even more so, morphing from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricanewith winds of 180 miles per hour in a day. Scientists also found the rain from Hurricane Helenewas 10 percent heavier as a result of climate change. In addition to those impacts, and the fact that hurricanes are increasingly moving slower, warming ocean waters due to climate changewill give future hurricanes a greater range. J.S.An ambitious space mission launched to search for signs of life on a moon An artists drawing of the Europa Clipper spacecraft NASA / JPL-CaltechAs skies cleared over Florida after Hurricane Milton passed over the state, a rocket carrying NASAs Europa Clipperblasted off on October 14. The interplanetary spacecraft successfully started its mission toward Europa, the fourth-largest moon ofJupiter, the eldest and most enormous planet in our solar system. While many of the planets biggest moons are geologically active, NASA targeted Europa because it has a subsurface ocean thatmay harbor life.Scientists sent NASAs largest spacecraft ever launched to another planet not to detect life itself, but to see if the moon has conditions that can support life. The Clipper is equipped with spectrometers, a dust analyzer, a thermal camera, instruments for measuring a magnetic field and gravity, and a radar. The crafts tools will help it find hot spots of activity, search for organic compounds and understand details about the ocean. Any discoveries that result from the trip could help scientists target a future effort to the surface that would search for signs of life.The missions goals are just to assess the habitability,Tracy Becker, a planetary scientist with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio toldSmithsonian magazine. Its the first step in that sort of long-term discovery of: Are we aloneJ.S.Archaeologists find that mammoth was on the menu for Ice Age Americans In an illustration, the Anzick-1 infant is shown with his mother eating mammoth meat as other Clovis individuals butcher a mammoth. Artist Eric Carlson created the scene in collaboration with archaeologists Ben Potter (UAF) and Jim Chatters (McMaster University)The diets of the Clovis people, who crossed the Bering Strait from Asia into Ice Age North America, have been an enduring mystery. Though archaeologists have uncovered indirect signs of the cultures habitsstone points for hunting and animal bonesdrawing conclusions from that assemblage relied on a lot of assumptions. But in a study published this December in Science Advances, archaeologists looked for an answer using direct evidence: the 13,000-year-old remains of the only known Clovis individual, an 18-month-old boy known as Anzick-1.Scientists examined the infants bones, conducting tests known as stable isotope analysis. In this method, they studied atoms of an element with varying weights, which can act as a record of what an organism ate and drank. Being a baby, Anzick-1 primarily drank his mothers milk, but one-third of his diet was composed of solid foodsand chief among them was woolly mammoth.The team also reconstructed what was on his mothers menu, based on the remnants of her milk in his bones. Mammoths made up 40 percent of what she ate, supplemented by elk, bison and, in rarer cases, small mammals such as rodents.If the Clovis people were hunting mammoths, it would align with evidence that they migrated, perhaps driven by the mammals seasonal movements. But at the end of the Ice Age, mammoth populations had dwindled and fragmented. The authors add that its possible the natural environmental changes put stress on the mammothsand hunting pressure from humans eventually drove them to extinction. But other researchers are less ready to jump to those continent-wide conclusions based only on evidence from one individual and his mother. The only way to verify this finding, researchers say, is to get more dataso archaeologists will need to discover more human remains from the Clovis culture. C.K.Iceland erupted again and again Lava flows from the Sundhnukur volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Grindavik, Iceland. John Moore / Getty ImagesThe rumblings that alarmed officials near the town of Grindavik, Iceland,began last October. After earthquakes suggested a possible volcanic eruption, the town was evacuated.In December, lava poured out of the earth. But the eruptions really got going this year. Molten rock spewed out in January,February,March,May,August and Novemberseven eruptions in just one years time.Grindaviks residents grew used to evacuations in a country that is no stranger to volcanoes. Iceland experiencesat least one eruption every five years or so. There, the mid-ocean ridge rises above the ocean andmolten rock from the deep rises as the North American and Eurasian plates move away from each other. Beneath southeast Iceland, a column of molten rockknown as a hot spotspurs even more eruptions. But on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where Grindavik sits, the earth was quiet for quite a while. Before the recent period of eruptions there began in March 2021,the last volcanic activity had occurred around 1200 C.E.Now, while Grindaviks residents worry, scientists flock to the blazing rock to learn more. One thing they are finding is that the lavas from different eruptionshave chemical similarities, suggesting they are somehow connected deep belowa surprising find. And geologists will likely have plenty of opportunities to discover more, as they think this latest burst of molten rocksignals the onset of centuries of eruptions for the area. In the meantime, the lava continues to move,recently threatening to steamroll Icelands iconic Blue Lagoon. J.S.Bird flu infected cows and dairy workers Cows without bird flu are milked at the Cornell Teaching Dairy Barn at Cornell University. Michael M. Santiago / Getty ImagesSince it was first spotted in 1996, the H5N1 strain of avian flu has been spreading in domestic and wild birds. But in 2020, the strain experienced a mutation that makes it more infective in waterfowl. From there, it hit new milestonesthe strain left its typical range of Europe, Asia and Africa to reach the Americas and the Antarctic, wreaking havoc on birds. In 2022, scientists detected the strain in mammals. And in 2024, it made headlines once again as the virus cropped up in dairy cows in the United States.First, the strain infected a young goat in Minnesota, marking the first U.S. livestock to be infected. Then, dairy cows in Texas and Kansas were reported sick, experiencing symptoms and producing discolored milk. At the time of this writing, more than 800 dairy herds have been affected across 16 states. Researchers detected bird flu in grocery store milk, but federal health officials spread the word that pasteurization kills the virusso the only milk that could potentially be dangerous was raw milk.Texas health department announced a dairy worker in the state had contracted H5N1 in March, marking only the second person infected with the strain in U.S. history. Scientists have expressed concerns about potential under-reporting of human cases and worried that the nation as a whole is underprepared to deal with the virus if it spreads quickly. Now, the countrys reported total of human cases has approached 60.In recent weeks, the pathogen has made headlines again, as epidemiologists and policymakers share concerns about what disease preparedness might look like under the upcoming Trump administration. In December, the Department of Agriculture announced it would test all raw milk for avian flu. But because the virus does not appear to be spreading between people, the Biden administration reportedly has no plans to authorize a vaccine for humans. For now, though, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that the risk to the general public remains low. C.K.Colorful auroras dazzled viewers across the planet Northern lights are seen in Sugarloaf Key, just 15 miles from Key West, Florida. Jen Golbeck / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty ImagesEthereal greens and reds lit the skies across the Earth on May 10 and 11, during the most dramatic geomagnetic storm in more than 20 years. Some people spotted the shimmering colors with the naked eye, while others caught the glow with their cameras. But all experienced something highly unusual: The northern lights were even seen as far south as Floridasomething that surprised some seasoned aurora chasers.The source of this extreme space weather event can be traced to the sun, which is currently near the climax of its 11-year cycle of fluctuating activity. This period of high magnetic turbulence, known as the solar maximum, results in our nearest star launching elevated amounts of radiation as solar flares, as well as spewing more magnetic fields and plasma as coronal mass ejections. When these charged particles hit Earths atmosphere, our planets own magnetic field drags them to the poles, where they energize molecules of gas. In turn, the gases emit a colorful glow as they release the excess energy. Oxygen and nitrogen at various altitudes create different hues, and they blend together into the dazzling sights we know as auroras.Even during these periods of high solar activity, a storm like Mays is rare. Not only does the sun have to hurl a huge amount of material out into space, but that material also has to hit the Eartha small target on the grand scale of the solar system. Still, far-reaching auroras happened again in October, putting on a show for skywatchers in every U.S. state, except for Hawaii, as Forbes Jamie Carter reported.As the sun shifts closer to its solar maximum, astronomers expect widespread auroras to happen again. Aurora chasers are looking toward 2025 with hopeful anticipation: Historically, the highest solar activity has come on the tail end of the maximum, so we might be in for even more stunning displays of lights in the coming years. C.K.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Archaeology, Astronomy, Avian Flu, Birds, Brain, Climate Change, Disease, Disease and Illnesses, Earth Science, Fish, Hurricanes, Iceland, Insects, Jupiter, Mammals, NASA, Natural Disasters, Outer Space, solar eclipse, Volcanoes

Photographs selected by Allison Scates Text by Tracy Scott ForsonJolly Old Elf. Chris Kringle. Santa Claus. He has many names, but one timeless mission: providing toys to good boys and girls of the world. Once a year, he boards his sleigh to take to the sky with his flying reindeer, and that day, December 25, is drawing near. Children write letters, visit local malls and spread the word to their parentswho then relay the messages the Santaabout what they want under the tree.Some call it the most wonderful time of the year. These 15 images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest help convey why. Take a look. When its not the holiday season, Santa Claus, and his many impersonators, can be found living life among the public, checking whos naughty and whos nice. Benjamin Albright, North Carolina, 2022 Santa Claus observes his sleigh from afar, likely wondering why a single horse has replaced his reindeer. Irina Omelkovich, Russia, 2018 The jolly old elf isnt always ho-ho-ho-ing. Sometimes hes sitting quietly waiting for the next child to approach with a wish list. Eduarda Cota, Brazil, 2020 North Pole resident Santa Claus is usually associated with cold weather, but hes just as popular in warm climates where cacti grow as he is among the polar bears. Claudia Henze, Bonaire, 2017 Its no wonder that Mr. Claus enjoys a good Coca-Cola, a brand credited with creating an iconic likeness of him thats spanned generations. Amber Parker, Tennessee, 2008 The annual SantaCon events welcome thousands of elf enthusiasts to Portland, New York City, Las Vegas and other cities worldwide to help ring in the holiday. Erin McCown, Oregon, 2008 Mr. and Mrs. Claus arent exactly incognito as they observe churchgoers whom they might be able to add to the nice list. Doug Ross, Indiana, 2021 Sleighs arent Santas only mode of transportation. Here, he boards a holiday train to visit young passengers. Jessica Helgesen, Colorado, 2019 Who needs mistletoe? Miniature Santa and his wife share a smooch near a finely decorated Christmas tree. Michelle Hass, Idaho, 2018 A photo of Santa Claus hangs over the fireplace in a room that hes obviously visited, leaving toys and gifts. Jennetta Hill, Georgia, 2017 In a spin on the Nativity story, Santa Claus stands over the manger with the Virgin Mary looking on nearby. Natasha Snyder, Texas, 2019 A patriotic Santa Claus impersonator needs a bit more weight to adequately mimic St. Nicks physique. Ian Wuilleumier, Massachusetts, 2009 Santa Claus is ready and waiting to hear what you want this Christmasjust make sure its small enough to fit down a chimney. Kimberly Draughn, Louisiana, 2021Get the latest Travel & Culture stories in your inbox.

These four lightbulbs augured a future with nuclear power. Argonne National Laboratory via FlickrFlickrDeep in the sagebrush steppe of southeast Idaho on December 20, 1951, a team of nuclear physicists gathered around four 200-watt lightbulbs dangling from a slack wire. Then, Harold Lichtenberger, the project manager, flipped a switch. The bulbs lit up. Most of the time, flipping a light switch doesnt need an audience. The team of scientists was reportedly nonchalant, too. This is it, one scientist said when the bulbs illuminated, according to Rick Michal in Nuclear News.But this was no mere flick of the finger: For the first time in history, a nuclear reaction had generated a significant amount of electricity.For the time being, it only powered four bulbs. But the future looked bright from the small brick building outside of Arco, Idaho.Development of the Experimental Breeder Reactor-I, as the reactor that powered the lightbulbs was known, began in the late 1940s, as the United States government sought to develop a nuclear reaction process that would extend its finite supply of uranium.Uranium-238 is uraniums most relatively abundant isotope, making up 99 percent of the naturally occurring form of the element. However, unlike the scarce and radioactive uranium-235 isotope, uranium-238 is stable and nonfissionable without high-energy neutrons.A breeder reactor, like the one scientists in Idaho were trying to build, converts uranium-238s nonfissionable material into fissionable material more rapidly than the nuclear fuel is consumed, Popular Mechanics explained in 1952, a process that would contribute to expansion of our atomic program.As scientists initiate the process of artificial nuclear decay, uranium-238 atoms absorb neutrons in the reactor core, becoming relatively more fissionable plutonium-239 atoms. When a plutonium nucleus in a breeder reactor is hit with a high-energy neutron, it splits, releasing heat and more neutrons. The process becomes a self-sustaining source of energy, in the form of heat, as the reaction continues.A secret 1949 government feasibility report written by Lichtenberger, Walter Zinn and Aaron Novickall veterans of the United States top-secret Manhattan Project that furthered nuclear research and created the worlds first nuclear weaponsconcluded that from the nuclear point of view there is much attraction toward a fast neutron reactor for breeding.Experiments with EBR-I began in early 1951. In the compact brick building, a complex process of nuclear reactions took place leading up to the moment when Lichtenberger flipped that switch.First, a liquid metal coolant consisting of an alloy of sodium and potassium flowed through the reactor core, where it absorbed heat from the artificial decay process. As it returned back to its supply tank, it transferred its heat to a secondary liquid metal coolant, which was pumped to a boiler, transferring heat to water and generating enough steam to turn a turbine.At 1:50 p.m. on December 20, as Lichtenberger flipped the switch, the first electricity generated from nuclear energy flowed from the turbines into the four lightbulbs.When I turned the switch, Lichtenberger later told The Idaho Statesman, I guess I was more interested in how the circuit breakers would function than I was in the significance of the test.In fact, power production, Atomic Energy Commission officials told the Statesman, was merely incidental to the experiments main goals: measuring the efficacy of the breeder process and converting nonfissionable material into fissionable material. The generation of electricity was simply a side project.The next day, the EBR-Is output reached 100 kilowatts, powering all the electronics in the building, another promising indication of the development of nuclear power.Interest in breeder reactors waned after the 1960s as the available global uranium supply increased and scientists developed more efficient enrichment methods. But the little brick building near Arco still proudly calls itself the Worlds First Nuclear Power Plant. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Electricity, Environment, Nuclear Power, On This Day in History, Physics, Sustainability

The wasp species known as the "velvet ant" has a pattern of white and ultra-black coloration. shrike2 via iNaturalist under CC BY-NC 4.0The Caatinga is a stark, dry shrubland in northeastern Brazil. In Tupi, an Indigenous language, its name means white forest, describing the arid grasses, thorny trees and pale, stony soil that dominate the landscape.But scurrying across this land of extreme whiteness is, paradoxically, one of the darkest animals on Earth: a species of velvet ant known as Traumatomutilla bifurca.With its furry exterior and distinct black and white markings, the insect looks like magic, Vinicius Lopez, an entomologist at the Federal University of Tringulo Mineiro in Brazil, tells Katrina Miller of the New York Times.As it happens, velvet ants, known colloquially to Brazilians as sorcerer ants, are actually a type of wasp, but the females, which are wingless, give the creatures their name. And, according to a study led by Lopez and published earlier this month in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, velvet ants have another claim to fame: The black parts of females possess a rare coloration known as ultra-black, so dark that it absorbs nearly all visible light.We have never seen this kind of color in the dragonflies or bees or beetles we have analyzed, Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira, another entomologist at the Federal University of Tringulo Mineiro who collaborated with Lopez on the paper, explains to the New York Times.Unlike melanin, which makes animals like crows and black panthers appear dark, the researchers note that ultra-black is not just a matter of pigmentation. Instead, they write in the paper, these colors are formed in nature by a sophisticated arrangement of microstructures alongside dark pigments.In the female velvet ant, these microstructures include overlapping stacks of lamellae, or layers of tissue, beneath dense, hair-like setae. Combined with a black pigment, these features in the insects exoskeleton minimize reflectance and enhance light absorption, the researchers write. Visible and ultraviolet light gets trapped in the layers, and less than 1 percent is able to escape.Dakota McCoy, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago who was not involved in the study, lauds the researchers use of multiple electron microscopy techniques to try to see what the whole story was, according to the New York Times. The mating display of a male superb bird of paradise shows off its ultra-black feathers. (A) Edwin Scholes / (B) Tim Laman via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 4.0This type of research is cutting-edge, because ultra-black coloration is extremely rare in the animal kingdom. Traumatomutilla bifurca is the first known ultra-black member of the Hymenoptera order, which includes more than 150,000 species of ants, wasps, sawflies and bees. Along with some butterflies, it is one of the only ultra-black insects.Though this trait is rare, the advantages for animals that do possess it are wide-ranging. For peacock spiders and birds of paradise, the profound darkness may accentuate their vivid other colors and help them stand out to potential mates, according to a 2019 study. For deep-sea fish like the fangtooth, ultra-black serves as an evolutionary tactic that gives some fishes an invisibility cloak, Courtney Sexton wrote for Smithsonian magazine in 2020. And for vipers, a 2013 study suggests the intense coloration can help the snakes regulate their temperature.In the case of female velvet ants, the little available evidence on their species mating preferences suggests the ultra-black hue doesnt have to do with attracting males. And while it might play a role in protecting the wasps from ultraviolet light, the team couldnt prove that.Instead, the researchers propose that the wasps ultra-black is related to protection from predators. Velvet ants are already known as indestructible insects because of their painful stings, venom and hard exoskeletons, according to the paper. Their dark color could serve as a warning to would-be predators.Some researchers see these natural advantages of ultra-black in animals as a blueprint for man-made materials. Ultra-black butterfly wings, for instance, hint at the possibility of extremely lightweight and absorptive material that could be used to harness solar energy, hone precision telescopes to detect the faintest light traveling across space or produce a camouflage coating for military vessels.The blackest black should be a constantly improving number, Brian Wardle, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, told Natalie Angier of the New York Times in 2019.What makes ultra-black butterflies so black?Watch on Scientists are also on the hunt for the counterpart of ultra-black:ultra-white, a color that reflects up to 97.9 percent of sunlight. As climate change elevates temperatures across the globe, engineered ultra-white paint could help cool airplanes, cars and spacecraft without relying on air conditioning.Still, many questions remain for researchers about how and why these extreme patterns of coloration occur in the wild. For instance, why do male velvet ants not have ultra-black pigmentation and instead reflect light at a much higher rate than females? What environmental pressures are responsible for dividing velvet ant evolution along these lines?But, as Guillermo-Ferreira points out to the New York Times, these waspy denizens of the Caatinga are rich with research potential. Every time we study velvet ants, they give us some new, interesting result.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Biology, biomimicry, Engineering, Innovations, Insects, Inventions, Nature, Technology, Wasps, Weird Animals

Robert Smithson createdSpiral Jetty on Utah's Great Salt Lake in 1970. Dia Art Foundation / Nancy Holt / Holt/Smithson FoundationJutting from the shoreline of Utahs Great Salt Lake is an unusually long, curling limb of land. Titled Spiral Jetty, the large-scale swirl was constructed in 1970 by artist Robert Smithson, who was known for manipulating earth into abstract shapes. Now, the land artwork has been added to the National Park ServicesNational Register of Historic Places.We are delighted that Spiral Jetty has received this important recognition, which will help us spread awareness of the iconic artwork and advocate for its long-term preservation, saysJessica Morgan, a director of Dia Art Foundation, which owns Spiral Jetty, in astatement. In the 54 years that Spiral Jetty has existed, it has been both submerged by the Great Salt Lake and stood far from the lakefront, bearing witness to the changing landscape around it.Dia acquired Spiral Jetty in 1999, when Smithsons widow, Nancy Holt, donated the artwork. Over the years, the foundation has collaborated with theGreat Salt Lake Institute, theHolt/Smithson Foundation and theUtah Museum of Fine Arts to care for it. The Land art is made of black basalt rock. Holt/Smithson FoundationSpiral Jetty is one of the worlds most famous works ofland art: art thats created directly in and from a landscape, either by sculpting earth or building with natural materials. The medium became popular during the 1960s and 70s within theconceptual art movement, which prioritized artists ideas, plans and intentions over the artworks themselves.Smithson, born in New Jersey in 1938, rose up in the global art scene during the 1950s, making paintings, drawings and sculptures that often referenced science fiction, poetry and pop culture. He was also inspired by physical spacesespecially those in his home state. In the 1970s, Smithson began making earthworks, the art pieces that would define his career. Per theHolt/Smithson Foundation, he was committed to sculpture that would collaborate with entropyembracing the chaos of a natural space.I was always interested in origins and primordial beginningsyou know, the archetypal nature of things, Smithson once said, per the foundation. As an artist, it is sort of interesting to take on the persona of a geological agent, where man actually becomes part of that process rather than overcoming it. Robert Smithson (1938-1973) createdSpiral Jettynear the end of his life. Holt/Smithson FoundationIn 1970, Smithson traveled to the Great Salt Lakes Rozel Point peninsula, northwest of Salt Lake City, and arranged 6,000 tons of local black basalt rock into a 1,500-foot-long, protruding line, which reaches into the lake and curls counterclockwise into a spiral.I think it was just unimaginable to so many artists that had been working in their studios and creating works that you hang on a wall, or smaller sculptures, Kelly Kivland, a former Dia curator, told the Deseret News Court Mann in 2020.Smithson created other significant pieces of land art in the years that followed. In 1971, he builtBroken Circle/Spiral Hill: a rounded jetty and canal on the edge of a sand quarry in the Netherlands. In 1973, he startedAmarillo Ramp, a sloping semi-circle of raised earth in Texas, but he died in a plane crash before finishing it. Smithsons widow and two other artists completed it for him. Smithson'sBroken Circle/Spiral Hill is located at a sand quarry in Emmen, the Netherlands. Gerardus / Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsSpiral Jetty remains Smithsons best-known work. Over the years, it has drawn attention to the Great Salt Lakes natural features, like its otherworldly pinkcolor and ever-shifting water level. In 2017, Spiral Jetty was named the state of Utahsofficial artwork.As Dia curator Jordan Carter tellsArtnets Vittoria Benzine, the artworks new designation as a nationally registered historic place will not come with any physical signage or plaques. We hope the enhanced recognition will dissuade other interventions in the landscape that negatively impact the environment and the lakes ecology, he says.Beloved in Utah and far beyond, this artwork has come to mean many things to many people, says Morgan in the statement. We are proud to continue our work caring and advocating for Spiral Jetty to preserve it for generations to come.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Art, Art History, Artists, Arts, Cultural Preservation, Nature, Outdoor Travel, Painters, Travel, Water

Sombrero ground lizards (Pholidoscelis corvinus) are endemic to Sombrero Island, north of Anguilla, which means they're found nowhere else on the planet. Jenny Daltry / Re:wild / Fauna & FloraA cheeky and charismatic lizard found only on a small Caribbean island has bounced back from the brink of extinction, according to a new survey.Biologists are celebrating the recovery of the Sombrero ground lizard (Pholidoscelis corvinus), a critically endangered reptile thats endemic to Sombrero Islandmeaning it cant be found anywhere else on Earth. And, just years ago, the creature had been nearly wiped out from its home.The species population had dwindled to fewer than 100 individuals in 2018. But, thanks to targeted conservation efforts, more than 1,600 of the scaly, black-blue reptiles are now scampering across the arid, limestone island. The nonprofit conservation group Flora & Fauna announced the latest numbers this week, in partnership with the Anguilla National Trust and Re:wild.We were absolutely ecstatic when we analyzed the results of our population surveys and found this enormous increase in their numbers, says Farah Mukhida, the executive director of Anguilla National Trust, to Popular Sciences Laura Baisas. Conservationists are working to rebuild the soil and plant life on Sombrero Island. Flora & FaunaSombrero Island is a rocky, uninhabited outpost located roughly 34 miles northwest of Anguilla. The 94-acre island is situated within the Anegada Passage, a channel between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Its home to the remains of an old lighthouse, as well as a newer lighthouse that was automated in 2001, reports National Park Travelers Jennifer Bain.Despite its diminutive size, the island provides habitat for many creaturesincluding brown boobies, the Sombrero Island bee, a pygmy gecko and the Sombrero Island wind scorpion. Migratory birds stop at the island in the spring and fall, and several species breed there, including sooty terns and laughing gulls. The waters surrounding the island also support coral reefs, sargassum and seaweed; endangered green sea turtles often visit to forage.Starting in the 1800s, however, American and British miners began flocking to Sombrero Island to take advantage of its abundant seabird guano, which can be used as fertilizer. In the process, they introduced invasive mice and ravaged the ecosystem. The island was once covered in trees and even had its own endemic giant tortoise speciesbut it was pillaged to the point of being nothing more than a barren moonscape, wrote the Guardians Patrick Greenfield in 2022.Sombrero Island has been so degraded by human activity that it no longer looks like a hat to approaching sailors, per the Guardian.More recently, devastating hurricanes have further damaged Sombrero Island, and such storms in 2018 ledthe ground lizards population to crash. The whole island was on the verge of ecological collapse, according to a statement from Flora & Fauna.But since 2021, conservation groups have been working to reintroduce native plants and remove the invasive mice. The past three years have seen painstaking restoration activity, Mukhida says in the statement. That type of work is not an easy feat on such a remote and rocky island.Now, their efforts are paying off: The island is considered pest-free and is brimming with green plants like sea bean, seagrape and prickly pear. And as for the Sombrero ground lizards, their numbers have ballooned by 16 times in six years.The island isnt the lush, tree-covered landscape it once wasthat will likely take years. But conservationists are hopeful that within the next decade or so, theyll be able to build the soil back up enough to support trees and bushes, per the Guardian.Conservationists say their work is important not only to protect the islands animals now, but also into the future. Sombrero Island, which has a maximum elevation of 39 feet, is susceptible to new threats with climate change, including sea-level rise, higher temperatures, more intense storms and longer droughtsand so are Sombrero ground lizards.Already there are reports that the island has been completely inundated by storm surges from major hurricanes, and modelling indicates that the frequency and intensity of hurricanes in the Caribbean will continue to increase, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Caribbean, Climate Change, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered Species, Good News, Hurricanes, Lizards, Plants, Reptiles, Water, wildlife

A recently excavated mastodon tooth found in a backyard, still embedded in the jaw New York State MuseumWhile mowing the lawn back in September, a homeowner in Orange County, New York, spotted strange objects poking through the plants. At first, the resident thought they were baseballs. But after picking them up, it became clear they were something much rarer: giant fossil teeth.The homeownerwho, according to the Associated Press, wishes to remain anonymousalerted the appropriate experts, leading researchers from the state museum and SUNY Orange to descend upon the backyard and begin an excavation. As they unearthed the remains, they revealed a complete mastodon jaw.The prehistoric finding, which is the first of its kind uncovered in New York in more than 11 years, was announced in a New York State Educational Department statement on Tuesday.Mastodons were large, tusked, elephant-like mammals distantly related to woolly mammoths and modern elephants. Slightly smaller than mammoths, they existed around the world from the early Miocene (2.6 million to 23 million years ago) through the Pleistocene (11,700 to 2.6 million years ago). In North America, however, the enormous mammals likely survived even longer, meaning their presence likelyoverlapped with the arrival of humans on the continent. Like mammoths, mastodons disappeared toward the end of the last ice age, when a series of factors, including climate change and human hunting, drove many large animals to extinction, as Jess Thomson reports for Newsweek. The excavated mastodon teeth New York State Educational DepartmentThis discovery is a testament to the rich paleontological history of New York and the ongoing efforts to understand its past, Robert Feranec, the New York State Museums director of research and collections, says in the statement. This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems from this region.Fossils are resources that provide remarkable snapshots of the past, allowing us to not only reconstruct ancient ecosystems but also provide us with better context and understanding of the current world around us, he adds.In addition to the well-preserved jaw, the researchers also uncovered a part of a rib and toe bone. They plan on further analyzing the jaw and bone fragments, including through carbon dating, to better understand the animals age, diet and prehistoric habitat, according to the statement. For now, the researchers have identified the remains as belonging to an adult mastodon.The magnitude of the find surprised even the museum experts. Initially I just thought we would kind of poke around and grab the other tooth and pull it out of the ground, and that would be it, Feranec says to ABCs Eyewitness News. But as we poked around that other tooth, it wasnt moving, and we kind of poked around a little more and realized that it was stuck in something. The recently excavated mastodon toe (bottom) compared with a toe from the Temple Hill Mastodon (top), which was previously uncovered in Orange County, New York New York State MuseumIm thrilled that our property has yielded such an important find for the scientific community, the homeowner says in the statement.Orange County is well-known for its mastodon fossilsin fact, about a third of the 150 mastodon fossils unearthed in New York state were discovered in Orange County.This might be due to the fact that retreating Ice Age glaciers left behind a kind of Ice Age lake with biologically rich land that attracted animals to the region, Cory Harris, chair of SUNY Oranges behavioral sciences department, tells the Times Unions Lana Bellamy and Phillip Pantuso. He adds that modern human activities in the area, like land development, also increase the chance of finding fossils.However, even though Orange County has a lot of mastodons relative to the rest of the state and, really, the rest of the country, as Harris tells ABC, that still doesnt mean you find it every day.The recent mastodon discovery will be included in public programming next year, according to the statement, and the researchers hope to continue exploring the area around the fateful Orange County backyard for future excavations.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Bones, Cool Finds, Elephants, Fossils, Mammals, Paleontology, Teeth

These 500-Year-Old Cannons May Help Unravel the Mysteries of the Coronado ExpeditionThe 16th-century artifacts were found during excavations in Arizona. Researchers say they may be the oldest firearms ever discovered in the continental United States During asystematic metal detector survey in southern Arizona, Deni Seymour unearthed a 16th-century cannon likely left behind by Spanish conquistadors. Deni SeymourIn 1541, Spanish explorers established a settlement called San Geronimo III in present-day southern Arizona. Led byFrancisco Vzquez de Coronado, the conquistadors were exploring what is now the American Southwest in hopes of finding riches and gold.But not long after setting up San Geronimo III near the Santa Cruz River, the Spanish explorers encountered an Indigenous community known as theSobaipuri Oodham. The two groups engaged in battle, with the Sobaipuri Oodham ultimately prevailing. The Spanish conquistadors fled, leaving behind some of their weapons and belongings as they made a speedy getaway.Now, archaeologists have unearthed two of the defeated groups 16th-century cannons. They may be the oldest firearms ever discovered in the continental United States.Researchers discovered the first cannon in the fall of 2020 during a systematic metal detector survey of the San Geronimo III site, according to a paper published last month in theInternational Journal of Historical Archaeology.They did not find any evidence of gunpowder residue on the 40-pound weapon, which is in pristine condition and made of bronze, the researchers write in the paper. Archaeologists think the battle may have started so quickly that the Spanish conquistadors didnt have time to fire the 3.5-foot-long cannon.This cannon and the battle that occurred around it are significant in that they represent the earliest successful Native American uprising in the continental U.S. since the Spaniards did not come back for 150 years, says study co-authorDeni Seymour, an independent archaeologist who leads the excavations at San Geronimo III, toGizmodos Isaac Schultz.Archaeologists found a second cannon in March 2024, reportsLive Sciences Owen Jarus. Theyre still investigating the find, but they can already see that the cannons barrel was blown off.It was fired in the battle, which is when and why the barrel blew out, Seymour tells Live Science. [The Spanish explorers] probably put too much powder in trying to repel an onslaught of attackers who were overrunning them.The two cannons are also known as hook guns or hackbuts. These were lightweight weapons that were relatively easy to transport on the backs of horses, mules or humans. When used in battle, they were typically placed on large, wooden tripods and probably fired by two men.The cannons likely fired buckshot, a type of ammunition that consisted of 86 small pellets. Researchers likened this style of ammunition to a swarm of hornets, they write in the paper.Even a single pellet, depending on where it hits, can put an aggressor out of action, they write. The cannon weighs roughly 40 pounds and measures 3.5 feet long. Deni SeymourSeymour and her colleagues also found other artifacts at the site, including crossbow bolts, lead bullets, swords, daggers, chain mail and plate armor. They also unearthed European pottery, pieces of olive jars and arowel spur.The discovery of the weapons in Arizona shows that the Spanish conquest, like the English and Dutch ones that came later, were precisely that: conquest and violence first; discovery second,Sharonah Fredrick, a scholar of Hispanic studies at the College of Charleston who was not involved with the project, tells Live Science.With her research in Arizona, Seymour hopes to learn more about Coronados expedition. Coronado had been serving as the governor of a province in Mexicothen calledNew Spainwhen he first learned about the fabledSeven Cities of Cbola. Lured by the promise of vast treasures, he launched an expedition to these mysterious destinations to the north.Coronados crew of 300 Spaniards and more than 1,000 Native Americans headed north in February 1540. They never found the riches theyd been promised, but they did explore present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Kansas. In 1542, the group returned to Mexico.Many aspects of the Coronado expedition remain a mystery to historians. But the recent excavations in Arizona may help fill out some of the missing details, says Matthew Schmader, an archaeologist at the University of New Mexico who is not involved with the project, to theWashington Posts Kyle Melnick.That particular area, that portion of the expeditionary route, is really pretty unknown, he adds.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Archaeology, Artifacts, Colonialism, Explorers, History, Indigenous Peoples, Mexico, New Research, Spain, Weapons

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams inspect safety hardware aboard the ISS in August 2024. NASATwo NASA astronauts who launched on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in June had already seen their intended short stint in orbit stretched into an eight-month odyssey. Now, however, the pairs return home will be postponed even further because of a delay in the arrival of their replacement crew, NASA announced in astatement on Tuesday.Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the ISS in early June aboard Boeings Starliner spacecraft in its first crewed test flight. The craft, meant to one day shuttle astronauts back and forth from orbit, experienced helium leaks and thruster failures during its flight. As such, NASA deemed Starliner unfit to return the astronauts to Earth. Starliners capsule Calypso made the journey homecrewless and in autonomous modein September.As its pilots, you dont want to see it go off without you, but thats where we wound up, Wilmore told the Associated Press Marcia Dunn at the time.With Calypso back on Earth, NASA saved Williams and Wilmoreseats on a SpaceX Dragon craft scheduled to return the Crew-9 mission astronauts from the ISS in February. Now, the agency says theyll have to wait until late March at the earliest. The change is due to a delay in the launch of NASAs Crew-10 mission, which was pushed back to allow engineers more processing time for a new Dragon spacecraft. The vehicle is scheduled to arrive at SpaceXs Florida processing facility in January.Fabrication, assembly, testing and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail, Steve Stich, NASAs Commercial Crew Program manager, says in the statement. We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsules readiness for flight.The astronauts on Crew-10Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers of NASA, Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskovwill take over operations of the ISS from Crew-9. For a period, both crews will overlap on the station, a process called crewed handover. Upon Crew-10s arrival, Crew-9NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, in addition to Williams and Wilmorewill share the necessary information to ensure a smooth transition for the ISS, including the ongoing science experiments.NASA has not revealed how long the handover period is expected to last. Even if its brief, by then Williams and Wilmore will have spent nearly nine months aboard the orbital station. But theyve been engaging in crew activities and contributing to maintenance and science.Theres always work to do on the space station. For most of the life of the space station, weve had a backlog of science experiments that we just didnt have enough crews up there to take care of, former NASA astronaut Michael Fossum told the Texas Standards Shelly Brisbin in early September. I have a feeling right now theyre working through that backlog fairly quickly with the larger crew up therewith Butch and Suni.Two resupply missions in November have ensured that the ISS remains well-stocked for its crew, NASA notes in the statement. The flights even brought special items to allow Crew-9 to celebrate the holidays in orbit.Im sure that they are already disappointed that they were going to miss Christmas back home with the folks, Simeon Barber, a planetary science specialistat the Open University, tells the BBCsPallab Ghosh.But this is only another two months on an already quite long mission, and Im sure if you ask them, Im sure they would tell you that the space station is where they love to be.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Astronauts, NASA, Space Travel, SpaceX, Technology, Transportation

Crows congregate inDelano, California, in 2014. The birds tend to gether in urban areas, prompting some city officialsspanning New York, Illinois and Oregonto try to disperse them. David McNew / Getty ImagesTens of thousands of crows coming to town in a cawing, swirling, dark mass sounds like a scene from Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds. But in cities across the United States where crows are taking over, residents and officials are faced with a dilemma. Should they let the highly intelligent birds be, or roust them away from downtown areas?In Rochester, New York, frustrations with the crow population, which reaches upwards of 20,000 each night during the holiday season, have prompted city officials to use serious scare tactics to ward off the roosts.According to David Andreatta of the New York Times, beaming lasers at buildings, shining high-powered flashlights into the night sky and playing recordings of distressed corvid sounds are all part of the non-lethal arsenal that wildlife specialists in Rochester have an annual habit of using to break up massive murders, as groups of crows are known.A news clip from 13WHAM ABC News, a local Rochester channel, shows an official in a yellow vest firing a flare gun into the sky while crows circle overhead and sit in dense clumps in nearby trees.Its non-lethal, doesnt hurt them, just moves them, Karen St. Aubin, the citys director of operations, tells the network.Methods to disperse large roost of crows begin in downtown RochesterWatch on Crows roost in cities out of convenienceespecially during the winter, when the ambient heat of the urban area helps keep them warm. Lights at night, as well as open spaces like grassy parks and parking lots, make tracking and hunting prey easier.Crows basically like what human beings have done to North America, Kevin McGowan at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology told the New York Times James Gorman back in 2004, when Auburn, New York, was facing such high numbers of crow visitors that residents were encouraged kill as many as possible in a controversial Crow Shoot competition.Theyre better off being in a big group, where they get the benefit of all those eyes looking out for danger, John Marzluff, a corvid expert at the University of Washington and the author of Gifts of the Crow, explained to the Atlantics Tove Danovich in March.But city officials complain that crows are far toomessy: The problem is that these are not little birds, and these are not little drops they leave behind. Theyre big, slimy and disgusting, Shelly Larson, the superintendent of community improvements in Danville, Illinois, told the Chicago Tribune in 2021. The Midwestern town has a human population of under 30,000, but it regularly contends with more than 100,000 crows.We used to have to powerwash benches, sidewalks, statues, St. Aubin of Rochester tells the New York Times. Its really about maintenance. Some of these larger roosts are in public places, and they can make them unusable.She reasons that the $9,000 the city spends on crow deterrence each year is worth it. Some Rochester residents disagree and find their citys methods excessively cruel to the birds.A Facebook group called Rochesterians for Crows has more than 1,000 members. According to its bio, the group began in February 2012 in response to the citys intolerable actions against the massively intelligent and often misunderstood bird that tends to polarize communities across the nation.The groups members share reverent photos of the roosts, memes that say things like be the crow you wish to see in the world and petitions to curb what they see as aggressive anti-crow action.Some members of the group point toward Portland, Oregon, as a role model for dealing with urban crow populations. They cheer Portlands purchase of the so-called Poopmaster 6000a high-powered, ride-on street sweeper and scrubberas a way to address the problem of corvid feces without disturbing the birds.The Bird Alliance of Oregon states that the Portland nonprofit managing city cleanliness has committed to using non-lethal tactics to deal with crows and even testified in favor of a ban on crow poisons. But in recent years, Portland has also leaned on hazing, including contracting licensed falconers who use Harriss Hawks to push the crows away from downtown.The hazing has been very successful, writes the Bird Alliance of Oregon. The hawks, without touching the crows, have steered them toward parks and green spaces along the Willamette River, where conflicts with humans are reduced. Among the various hazing alternatives, it is probably least disruptive and closest to what they might experience under natural circumstances.McGowan, for one, thinks Rochesters efforts are in the right direction, although he now adds to the New York Times that you can get them out of a neighborhood or away from the town hall, but youre not going to get rid of them.One poster in the Facebook group, a self-described corvid fanatic who only recently learned about Rochesters predicament, finds the very idea of dispersing crows ignorant and repugnant.Id pay cash to experience a massive crow roosting such as the ones your elected officials are spending your taxes trying to disperse, he adds. Rebrand Rochester as Crow City and place a few tiny ads in some birding magazines. The hotels will soon fill, the restaurants will have to hire more staff and EVERYBODY WINS.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Birds, Cities, Ethics, Nature, wildlife

Beloved films like Dirty Dancing, No Country for Old Men, Beverly Hills Cop and Spy Kidsare heading to the National Film Registry. Library of CongressThe Library of Congress has just added 25 new movies to the National Film Registryincluding cult classics like Dirty Dancing, Beverly Hills Cop, The Texas Chain Saw MassacreStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).With the new additions, the National Film Registry now has a total of 900 movies in its collection. This years picks range in tone and genre, including comedies, dramas, horrors, animated films, documentaries, blockbusters and independent movies.For Trekkies, the addition of The Wrath of Khan is a welcome choice. ItStar TrekI think it harked back to the principles of what made Star Trek popular, way back when it came out, William Shatner, the original Captain James T. Kirk, tells the Washington Posts Thomas Floyd. For the most part, [the TV series] told personal stories that connected with the audience, so that the science fiction aspect was placed in the background and it was stories about human beings. Thats the key, I believe, to the success of this movie.Films such as Beverly Hills Cop and Dirty Dancing have been beloved for decades. The former is a fun comedy starring Eddie Murphy as a Detroit police officer in Los Angeles investigating a childhood friends killer. The film became a hit and so did its theme song, Axel F. The latter, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, is iconic for its dance moves and one liners like Nobody puts Baby in a corner, and it's also known for the way it portrays female sexuality, as well as subjects such as abortion and class dynamics.Picking which films find their way on the coveted list is a careful process that takes deliberation, debate and even input from audience members. This year the public submitted over 6,700 film nominations, with strong support for popular titles that made the listThe Social Network, about the rise of Facebook, and No Country for Old Men, about a Texas killer.The wealth of American film history is sometimes rather overwhelming, and people often wonder: how do you recommend this film or that film? Jacqueline Stewart, the chair of the National Film Preservation Board, says in a statement. It's through a lot of research, conversation and discussion, and it's through a commitment to showing the true diversity of filmmaking.This years list is also notable for its inclusion of films featuring actors and directors of color. Five of the movies were directed by Black filmmakers: Ganja & Hess (1973), Uptown Saturday Night, Zora Lathan Student FilmsWillCompensation. Five more include movies featuring prominent Hispanic lead actors and stories. That includes Spy Kids (2001), a hit family film that weaves Hispanic culture into a plot about children who discover their parents are spies.Films reflect our nations history and culture and must be preserved in our national library for generations to come, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden says in the statement. Were honored by the responsibility to add 25 diverse new films to the National Film Registry each year as we work to preserve our cultural heritage.Check out the full list in chronological order:Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)KoKos Earth Control (1928)Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)The Pride of the Yankees (1942)Invaders from Mars (1953)The Miracle Worker (1962)The Chelsea Girls (1966)Ganja & Hess (1973)Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)Uptown Saturday Night (1974)Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)Up in Smoke (1978)Will (1981)Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)Beverly Hills Cop (1984)Dirty Dancing (1987)Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)Powwow Highway (1989)My Own Private Idaho (1991)American Me (1992)Mi Familia (1995)Compensation (1999)Spy Kids (2001)No Country for Old Men (2007)The Social Network (2010)Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Congress, Film, Library of Congress, Movies, National Archives, New Year's Day

The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has announced the highly anticipated results of its tenth annual contest. On December 10, the competition unveiled an overall winner, nine category winners and ten highly commended entries in an entertaining gallery. Having garnered 9,000 submissions, 2024 marks the most competitive year yet of the self-described funniest and most popular photography competition in the world.The contest was founded in 2015 by photographers and conservationists Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam with the aim of organizing a refreshing, fun and free photography competition unlike any other to raise awareness about conservation, according to a statement emailed to Smithsonian magazine.Issues of wildlife conservation and sustainability are gaining momentum globally, yet the messages and images tend to be negative, depressing and enervating, Joynson-Hicks says on the contests website.Instead, the page continues, this comedic competition accesses our empathy by showing how alike we really are. You dont need to cover your eyes or look away. We want our viewers to share our enjoyment of nature and take the time to recognize its value.In that spirit, photographers of all levels and ages are invited to send in submissions.This years competition received a record number of entries, each one a testament to the power of photography in evoking emotion, Stefan Maier, senior general manager of marketing at Nikon Europe, says in the statement. We look forward to continuing to inspire the next generation of wildlife photographers through these wonderful awards.Without further ado, here are this years winners: Overall winner: "Stuck Squirrel" byMilko Marchetti Milko Marchetti / Nikon Comedy WildlifeMilko Marchetti from Italy was crowned the overall winner for his photograph called Stuck Squirrel, earning him the title of Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year. The five finalists were all within a few points of each other, according to the statement, but Marchettis image was popular across the board with the judges, and ultimately took first place.I have taken many, many photographs of squirrels in many situations over the years in Italy, but this one struck me as really funny and such a strange position, because it is that exact moment when the squirrel is detaching its back legs from the trunk to enter its hide, Marchetti explains in the statement. Whenever I show this image at the nature seminars at my local photography club, the audience always explode with raucous laughter, so I had to enter it!Marchetti captured the photograph on April 23, 2022, in a park frequented by a few red squirrels. He clicked the shutter at just the right time to make the animal look stuck, only partially in the tree.The photograph brilliantly captures the playful and unpredictable moments that make nature so enchanting, Maier says in the statement. As the overall winner, Marchetti will receive a Kenyan safari, a handmade trophy from Tanzania and a photography bag. Insect category winner: "Mantis Flamenca" byJose Miguel Gallego Molina Jose Miguel Gallego Molina / Nikon Comedy WildlifeJose Miguel Gallego Molina from Spain won the insect category with his image called Mantis Flamenca.On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend the Flemish Mantis for the first time, he recounts. You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand. Nikon young photographer category winner: "Awkward smiley frog" by Kingston Tam Kingston Tam / Nikon Comedy WildlifeKingston Tam from Australia won the Nikon Young Photographer Award, a category for photographers 25 years old or younger, with his picture titled Awkward smiley frog. He says he developed a passion for herping several years ago, or looking for reptiles and amphibians.My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful, Tam adds. Ultimately, I wish my work could bring more conservation awareness to these amazing reptiles and amphibians, and thats been my motivation to keep doing what Im doing. Nikon junior photographer category winner: "Smooching Owlets" bySarthak Ranganadhan Sarthak Ranganadhan / Nikon Comedy WildlifeSarthak Ranganadhan from India took home 2024s Nikon junior category for 16-year-olds and under, with Smooching owlets.Our parents always find a way to embarrass us, explains Ranganadhan, who is 16 years old. I guess thats also true in the case of spotted owlets.It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin shut eyes, Ranganadhan adds. However, he was not the youngest winner in this years competition.That distinction goes to 10-year-old Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb from England, who isnt just this years youngest winner, but the youngest category winner in the competitions history. He took home the top prize in the portfolio category with a series of four images featuring a squirrel playing with a stick. Describing the creatures apparent action in each shot, he named the portfolio Dancing to the Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting. / An image from the portfolio category winner, Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb's "Dancing to the Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting." Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb / Nikon Comedy Wildlife / An image from the portfolio category winner, Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb's "Dancing to the Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting." Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb / Nikon Comedy Wildlife / An image from the portfolio category winner, Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb's "Dancing to the Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting." Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb / Nikon Comedy Wildlife / An image from the portfolio category winner, Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb's "Dancing to the Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting." Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb / Nikon Comedy WildlifeThe judges gave the video category to Kevin Lohman from the United States for his aptly named Fox with the zoomies! clip, which captures a red fox rolling around on a cold morning.I had been watching this fox walking slowly across the grass when it suddenly got the zoomies like my dog does after its bath. It started rolling around on the ice-covered grass, then sliding, then shaking it off like nothing happened, he says. Video category winner: "Fox with the zoomies" byKevin Lohman Kevin Lohman / Nikon Comedy WildlifeOther category winners include Eberhard Ehmke, who captured a frog with its head in a bubble to win the reptile category; Damyan Petkov, who won the bird category with a whiskered terns crash landing; Przemyslaw Jakubczyk, who won the fish and other aquatic animals category with a photo that seems to show a fish chasing an eagle; and Tapani Linnanmki, who won the peoples choice category with a white-tailed eagle ruffling its feathers. / Reptile category winner: Frog in a balloon byEberhard Ehmke Eberhard Ehmke / Nikon Comedy Wildlife / Bird category winner: Whiskered Tern crash on landing byDamyan Petkov Damyan Petkov / Nikon Comedy Wildlife / Fish and other aquatic animals category winner: Unexpected role swap byPrzemyslaw Jakubczyk Przemyslaw Jakubczyk / Nikon Comedy Wildlife / Peoples choice category winner: Shake ruffle rattle and roll" byTapani Linnanmki Tapani Linnanmki / Nikon Comedy WildlifeGet the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Baby Animals, Birds, Conservation, Fish, Frogs, Insects, Nature, Nature Photography, Photographers, Photography, Squirrels, Weird Animals, wildlife

San Francisco Names a Street For the Photographer Who Captured Marines Raising an American Flag at Iwo JimaJoe Rosenthal is famous for his Pulitzer Prize-winning image. But he spent most of his career photographing San Francisco, where he lived for many years Joe Rosenthal holding a print of his famous photographin 2000 David Hume Kennerly / Getty ImagesIn early 1945, the Associated Press photographerJoe Rosenthal captured an iconic shot of troops raising an American flag on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. It became one of the most famous images from World War II, and it won thePulitzer Prize for photography later that year.Sure, I took the photo, Rosenthal said when complimented on his winning image, per theAPs Janie Har and Terry Chea. But the Marines took Iwo Jima.This month, Rosenthal, who died in 2006, is being honored in San Francisco, where he lived for most of his life: Officials have renamed a downtown block of Sutter Street Joe Rosenthal Way. As speakers emphasized at the recent renaming ceremony, Rosenthals contribution to World War II photography was the highlight of a long career mostly spent covering local events for the San Francisco Chronicle. The Battle of Iwo Jima took place between February 19 andMarch 26, 1945. Joe Rosenthal / Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsThe Bay Area cityhome to pivotalNavy shipyards during the 40sis a fitting location to honor a World War II photographer, as Aaron Peskin, leader of the citys Board of Supervisors, tells Ryan Curry of KCRA, a local news channel. San Franciscos modern history is inextricably linked to World War II, he says. Its U.S. history, and [Rosenthal] is a son of San Francisco.Born in Washington, D.C. in1911, Rosenthal moved to San Francisco just after graduating high school. He became a newspaper photographer in the early 30s and joined the AP in 1941. When he became an AP war correspondent in 1944, he was sent to thePacific Theater.Rosenthal captured many U.S. assaults, includingGuam,Angaur and Peleliu. But he didnt take his celebrated photo untilIwo Jima, where U.S. Marines invaded on February 19, 1945. Some 22,000 Japanese soldiers died in the ensuing 36-day battle, and roughly 24,000 American soldiers were killed or injuredthehighest number of single-action casualties in Marine Corps history.USA: IWO JIMA PHOTOGRAPHER - JOE ROSENTHALWatch on No man who survived the beach can tell you how he did it, Rosenthal later said, per theChronicles Peter Hartlau. It was like walking through rain and not getting wet.On the Battle of Iwo Jimas fifth dayFebruary 23Rosenthal observed two Marines attempting to place a 150-pound flagpole atopMount Suribachi. Other soldiers arrived to help, working in tandem to hoist the flag, and Rosenthal snapped a photo. Rosenthal died in 2006 at age 94. Nancy Wong via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0His image became a poster advertisingwar bonds, which citizens could purchase to fund the military, and the ad helped raise $26 billion in 1945, per the AP. After the war, Rosenthal returned to the Bay Area, and he spent more than three decades taking photos for the Chronicle before retiring in 1981.As Rosenthals daughter Anne tells KCRA, her father fell in love with San Franciscos beauty and people. She says she feels very honored about the renaming of Sutter Street, adding: Of course, [I] wish my dad were here to see this.In Rosenthals post-war decades with the Chronicle, he captured pro baseball playerWillie Mays, SenatorDianne Feinstein, children running out of their last day of school in 1965 and countless other moments and figures.He had this 50-year career35 with the Chronicleand he was known for one photograph, Tom Graves, chapter historian for the U.S.Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, tells the Chronicle. From kindergarten to parades to professional and amateur sports games, he was the hometown photographer. I think thats something that San Francisco should recognize and cherish.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Arts, Cities, History, Japan, Journalism, Photographers, Photography, Photojournalism, San Francisco, Warfare, World War II

The Worlds Largest Iceberg Is Free-Floating Again, and It Could Help Build Thriving EcosystemsAfter spending months stuck in a swirling ocean vortex, iceberg A23a is once again drifting through the Southern Ocean, offering scientists a glimpse into how it might affect waters in new regions The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is on the move again after spending the last few months stuck in an ocean vortex. Emily Broadwell / British Antarctic SurveyAfter spending the last few months stuck in a swirling ocean vortex, the worlds largest iceberg is floating freely once again.Called A23a, the massive hunk of ice spans roughly 1,500 square mileswhich makes it about the same size as Rhode Island. It weighs nearly one trillion metric tons and measures around 1,300 feet thick.A23a broke off from Antarctica in August 1986. It was part of the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf on the continents northwest side and had been home to a Soviet research station. (After the iceberg separated from Antarctica, however, Soviet scientists recovered their equipment.)A23a megaberg escapes after months in ocean vortex | British Antarctic SurveyWatch on A23a didnt travel far before becoming grounded on the floor of the Weddell Sea between Antarctica and South America. It stayed there, motionless, for decades.Then, in 2020, the iceberg started moving again. Ocean currents and the wind were pushing A23a through the Weddell Sea at a rate of up to three miles per day, researchers said late last year. But in August 2024, it got sidetrackedA23a became trapped in a spinning ocean vortex near the South Orkney Islands. It rotated roughly 15 degrees each day in whats known as a Taylor column, but did not move otherwise.Now, A23a has broken free from that aimless rotation and is on the move again. On Friday, the British Antarctic Survey announced that the mega-iceberg is drifting in the Southern Ocean.Scientists have been following A23as journey in hopes of learning more about how icebergs influence the worlds oceans. Last year, a team sailed aboard the research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough to take photos and gather data near A23a.More specifically, researchers took surface water samples from behind, next to and in front of A23a. They hope to understand how icebergs like A23a affect the waters around them.We know that these giant icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems in otherwise less productive areas, says Laura Taylor, a biogeochemist with the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Cambridge, in a statement. What we dont know is what difference particular icebergs, their scale and their origins can make to that process.New animation shows track of giant A23a iceberg | British Antarctic SurveyWatch on Experts expect A23a to travel northward along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. It will likely head toward South Georgia Island, where warmer waters await. The higher temperatures will probably cause A23a to melt and break into smaller chunks.Large icebergs periodically break away from Antarctica as part of the natural growth cycle of ice shelves. Christopher A. Shuman, a cryospheric scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, has compared the process to trimming your fingernails. Calving icebergs are like the white tips of fingernails, he told the New York Times Claire Fahy in 2021they separate from the ice sheet but are gradually replaced. Researchers studied A23a from the research vesselRRS Sir David Attenborough. Derren Fox / British Antarctic SurveyScientists say natural iceberg calving is not linked to climate change and that mega-icebergs do not contribute to sea-level rise. However, as global temperatures continue to increase, experts are concerned about melting ice sheets in Antarctica, as well as in Greenland.A23a may be the largest iceberg on the planet at the momentbut it hasnt always held that title. In July 2017, A68 became the worlds largest iceberg after it calved from the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. Measuring roughly 2,200 square miles, A68 drifted north toward South Georgia and split into smaller pieces.Similarly, in May 2021, A76 separated from the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf and temporarily became the worlds largest iceberg. A76 split into three smaller pieces, however, leading A23a to reclaim its crown.The largest iceberg ever recorded was named B15. It broke off from Antarcticas Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000 and slowly drifted northward. At its peak, the iceberg had a surface area of 4,250 square milesmaking it bigger than Jamaica. But in 2015, even it broke down, separating into eight chunks that got smaller and smaller as they melted. By 2018, just four large segments remained, and they showed signs of degrading, too.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Sarah Kuta| READ MORESarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.Filed Under: Antarctica, Ecology, Nature, Oceans, Water

An 1864 photo of General Ulysses S. Grant Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsAs Union General Ulysses S. Grant pushed southward from Tennessee into Oxford, Mississippi, in December 1862, he felt the pressure of the Southern cotton economy closing around him.Smuggling and corruption were rampant in his new military district, which stretched from Mississippi to Kentucky.So the general made a rash choice in his attempt to crack down on an underground cotton trade by ordering the expulsion of all Jews from his district.The move not only played into antisemitic tropes but also affected his reputationand his future political career.Grants order responded to an unsettling economic reality: Despite the war raging around them, Southern planters still wanted to sell their cotton, and Northern mills still wanted raw material to make into textiles and garments.Grant had to deal with swarms of Northern traders who maneuvered to cash in on the North's consuming need for this major export, Ron Chernow wrote in his biography Grant. The black market for cotton infuriated the general, not least because the illicit trade of goods might also run parallel to the spread of crucial military information. An 1863 photograph of Grant Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsGrant was particularly upset after his father, Jesse Grant, visited Oxford with Harmen, Henry and Simon Mack, three brothers from a family of prominent Jewish clothiers in Cincinnati. The Macks hoped to secure a cotton purchasing permit from the general, promising his father 25 percent of the profits. Grant did not take this proposed bargain well and sent the Macks packing.On December 17, Grant announced a bold order designed to stop the griftone that historians like Chernow have called the most egregious decision of his career.Instead of targeting unscrupulous merchants specifically, he ordered the expulsion of all Jews from his district, echoing a longstanding antisemitic stereotype of Jews as amoral and untrustworthy traders and moneylenders.Issued from his headquarters in Oxford, Grants General Orders No. 11 read that the Jews, as a class, violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department, and also department orders, are hereby expelled from the department.The measure afforded Jews 24 hours to leave the military district. It stated, Anyone returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners.In a letter sent back to the Department of War on the same day, Grant elaborated that Jews and other unprincipled traders come in with their carpet sacks in spite of all that can be done to prevent it. Beyond expulsion, he suggested that the government itself should purchase cotton at a fixed rate to prevent speculation and price gouging.As the order began to go into effect, the Daily Missouri Republican reported a general stampede and great consternation among Hebrew merchants.Cesar Kaskel, a Jewish immigrant from Prussia who had settled in Paducah, Kentucky, received the news of his expulsion on December 28, according to historian Jonathan D. Sarnas When General Grant Expelled the Jews.Incensed that his loyalty to the Union, despite living in a Confederate state, counted for nothing, Kaskel tried to fight the expulsion order. He wrote to the press, arguing that he was a peaceable, law-abiding citizen, pursuing my legitimate business who was nevertheless expelled because I was born of Jewish parents. An 1882 cartoon depicting Grant crying "crocodile tears" over the persecution of Jews in Russia Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsNext, Kaskel dispatched a telegram to the White House, asking Abraham Lincoln for his effectual and immediate interposition. When that didnt work, he set off for Washington on a Paul Revere-like ride, as Sarna put it, spreading news of Grants controversial order along the way.Kaskel eventually gained access to Lincoln, who learned of Grants order for the first time. On January 4, 1863, Lincoln ordered Grant to repeal the expulsion, but even in the aftermath, the order continued to hound him.During Grants 1868 campaign for the presidency, Americansparticularly American Jewswrangled with the issue. The American Israelite, a Jewish newspaper, spent a whole broadsheet page struggling with the matter of voting for Grant without coming to a meaningful conclusion. Others condemned Grants cool, deliberate malice and worried what he would do once in power.After he was elected, however, Grant tried to make amends. He appointed a record number of Jewish Americans to the government, attended the dedication of a synagogue in Washington in 1876 and condemned Jewish persecution in other countries.In a letter to Isaac N. Morris, a Jewish congressman, Grant apologized and said he sent the order without any reflection, and without thinking of the Jews as a sect or race to themselves.I have no prejudice against sect or race but want each individual to be judged by his own merit, Grant wrote. Order No. 11 does not sustain this statement, I admit, but then I do not sustain that order.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Smithsonian magazines coverage of 2024 reflected the eclectic interests of our audience, as well as their search for diversion in a year of news dominated by political polarization, presential assassination attempts, and unrest in the Middle East and Europe, among other crises.Our editors tracked major milestones in space exploration and climate science, and they chronicled intriguing finds like the wreck of a World War II submarine and a colossal stone monument built 1,000 years before Stonehenge. Drawing on the rich archive of images submitted to the magazines annual Photo Contest, our photography editors transported readers to Cuba, captured the beauty of birds, and celebrated events like Pride Month and Mothers Day. The first season of our podcast, Theres More to That, asked our journalists and editors about Pablo Escobars hippos, the crime of the century and the enduring appeal of eclipses. Our writers also paid tribute to towering figures who died in 2024, including actor James Earl Jones, painter Faith Ringgold and record producer Quincy Jones.From a curious, century-old contraption to the history of the United States accents and dialects, these were some of Smithsonians most-read stories of 2024.A Man Noticed a Strange Shape on the Ground on Google Earth. It Turned Out to Be the Mark of an Undetected Tornado A man spotted the scar while looking at Google Earth satellite imagery earlier this year. Screenshot via Google EarthOur top story of the year centered on Google Earth satellite imagery of the Nullarbor Plain, a flat, dry and treeless expanse in southern Australia. While searching for caves with the interactive tool, a man spotted a strange, V-shaped line on the ground. Upon investigating, researchers determined that the 6.8-mile-long scar likely reflected the trail of a previously undetected tornado that struck the region in mid-November 2022.As study author Matej Lipar wrote in the Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science, Tornado paths leave behind a scarred landscape, which can indicate tornado intensity. The storms are capable of stripping away topsoil, uprooting vegetation and scouring the ground, leaving strikingly looped cycloidal marks on the earths surface. Based on the appearance of the Nullarbor Plain scar, the researchers suspect that the 2022 tornado measured an F2 or F3 on the Fujita Scale of intensity, spinning clockwise at speeds of more than 124 miles per hour over a period of 7 to 13 minutes.According to Smithsonian correspondent Sarah Kuta, Not everyone is convinced that the scar alone can reveal all that information. Since the tornado didnt damage any buildings and had no witnesses, its difficult to estimate its intensity. Still, the paper offers an intriguing case study for using satellite imagery to track natural phenomena in remote, uninhabited areas.Historians Say Theyve Solved the Mystery of a Curious 100-Year-Old Contraption Discovered in Storage The machine features a ceramic countertop and two parallel rollersone that's covered with small nubs. Dorchester County Historical SocietyIn October, the Maryland-based Dorchester County Historical Society shared photographs of a century-old contraption on its Facebook page. Can you identify this machine? the society wrote in its post. It has a new motor but everything else is around 100 years old. What local industry would have used it?Facebook users flooded the comments with suggestions, from a paper press to a clothing wringer to a leather tanning tool. The answer, however, turned out to be a more obscure artifact: a mechanical beaten biscuit maker used to craft a treat that was once popular in the American South. Sturdier than traditional Southern biscuits, beaten biscuits derive their name from the strenuous process of removing air from the dough by beating it with an ax, rolling pin or hammer. Experts believe that a Maryland man created the newly identified machine to make this work easier for his aunt, who ran a local beaten biscuit business.Maryland has a deep history of making beaten biscuits, Zo Phillips, the historical societys executive director, told Smithsonian in November. There is the Maryland Beaten Biscuit brand, but here in Cambridge, there was also a bakery called the Camper Sisters Bakery that made beaten biscuits as well. Some of their family members still sell them.These Fossil Teeth From an 11-Year-Old Reveal Clues to Why Humans Developed an Unusually Long ChildhoodDmanisi tooth developmentWatch on Compared with most mammals, humans stick with their parents for an extended period of time, relying on caregivers to raise and provide for them over multiple years. Chimpanzees, for example, reach adulthood twice as fast as humans. Scientists have offered a range of potential explanations for this lengthy childhood, with many pointing to the evolutionary need for youths to develop bigger brains before maturing to adulthood.A study published in NatureSmithsonian correspondent Alexa Robles-Gil reported in November, the fossil teeth of an 11-year-old hominid who lived in what is now Dmanisi, Georgia, some 1.77 million years ago show he experienced delayed development like those of modern human children during the first several years of life. Later, the youth switched to more great-ape-like growth.The findings complicate the idea that early humans evolved to have long childhoods because their brains needed more time to develop. The researchers point out that the brains of the Dmanisi hominid and his peers were only slightly larger than chimpanzees, meaning the change predated a major increase in humans brain size. Members of the Homo genus may have developed long childhoods to spend more time learning social behavior, before brain development intensified, Robles-Gil wrote. Its also possible, however, that the prehistoric childs slow dental development was the result of environmental factors like available foods rather than social interactions and brain size.Workers Uncover an Underground Chamber Sealed for More Than a Century Near the National Mall The opening to the cistern was discovered beneath Jefferson Drive, which runs alongside the Smithsonian Castle and other museums. National Park ServiceContrary to popular myth, the Smithsonian Institution does not boast an underground storage facility below the National Mall in Washington, D.C. And though the National Park Service (NPS) discovered a secret chamber near the Smithsonian Castle this September, the 30-by-9-foot space turned out to be a simple cistern built to collect rainwater in 1847. When workers opened the sealed chamber, they found it completely empty.Sadly, no national treasures or secret symbols were recovered, the NPS wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. But the cistern offers a neat glimpse into the museums and the National Malls past.In her article on the cistern, Smithsonian correspondent Sonja Anderson detailed this rich history, outlining the Castles origins and evolution from a museum building and residence into an administrative office and visitor center.Adorable but Deadly Fluff Balls, Better Known as Pygmy Slow Lorises, Born at the Smithsonians National Zoo Pygmy slow loris babies Zuko (left) and Azula (right) hang out on the branches in their habitat at the Small Mammal House. National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteIn late March, staff at the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) discovered a pair of baby pygmy slow lorises clinging to their mother in an enclosure at the Small Mammal House. They were probably born right before we came in, animal keeper Kara Ingraham told Smithsonian. Members of an endangered species native to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, the siblings were the first pygmy slow lorises to be born at NZCBI.The babies quickly won over the public with their teddy bear-like features, including oversized eyes, cherubic faces and rounded ears. Unfortunately, these same attributes have made pygmy slow lorises a big target for wildlife trafficking and the pet trade, Ingraham said. Buyers enchanted by the animals appearance fail to realize that they make horrible household pets: In addition to requiring a steady diet of tree sap, pygmy slow lorises are the only primates known to produce venom, which is strong enough to cause anaphylactic shock in adult humans.Their social, medical and nutritional needs are really difficult to meet for pet owners, and the pressure that the illegal pet trade puts on their wild populations has driven the decline in their population, Ingraham said. We hope that guests understand what animals do and do not make good pets, and when they see videos of exotic animals in pet homes, that they remember the loris and dont engage with or support that content.A Massive Crane Helping With the Baltimore Bridge Cleanup Was Built to Recover a Sunken Soviet Submarine The Chesapeake 1000 can lift up to 1,000 tons. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Hannah MohrThe shocking collapse of Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge this spring sparked an ambitious cleanup operation involving floating cranes, explosives and a fleet of tugboats. One of these tools, a crane called the Chesapeake 1000, boasted a surprising past: The machine, originally named the Sun 800, played a role in Project Azorian, a top-secret CIA effort to recover a Soviet submarine that disappeared in the Pacific Ocean in 1968.Named for the number of tons it could lift, wrote Sarah Kuta for Smithsonian, the crane was used to hoist a 630-ton gimbal during construction of the Hughes Glomar Explorer, a ship with a powerful hydraulic system and a claw that could lift the [submarines] wreckage from the depths. Though the CIA managed to recover one-third of the Soviet vessel in 1974, the mission failed to yield any useful intelligenceor so the spy agency claimed.Kutas April article wasnt Smithsonians only coverage of the accident, which unfolded in the early morning hours of March 26, when a cargo ship struck one of the Baltimore bridges support pillars, sending the structure plunging into the Patapsco River and killing six people. We also examined how increasingly large cargo ships are placing decades-old infrastructure at risk and explored the circumstances behind seven of the worst bridge disasters in history.Divers in Mexicos Underwater Caves Get a Glimpse of Rarely Seen Artifacts, Fossils and Human Remains Looking up from the depths of the Blue Abyss highlights this in-cave sinkhole's distinctive shape and azure tones. Martin BroenIn this excerpt of Martin Broens Light in the Underworld: Diving the Mexican Cenotes, the photographer and diver chronicled the rich history of the Yucatn Peninsulas underwater caves. Formed over millions of years, thousands of natural sinkholes known as cenotes connect the surface of the earth to the longest underground river systems in the world, Broen wrote. Here, water doesnt accumulate on the surface as rivers, but instead gets absorbed through the porous limestone to flow within underground tunnels.Cenotes were sacred to the Maya civilization, whose members viewed them as a place for worship and rituals related to rain, life, death and rebirth, according to Broen. Today, the caverns hold evidence of both the Maya and the people who inhabited the region before them, as well as the fossils of prehistoric megafauna. As Broen wrote, The fossils concealed within the caves constitute genuine treasures, allowing for teams of specialized scientists to explore these wonders, aiming to unravel scientific enigmas, construct hypotheses and shed light on the mysteries that shroud our planets history.Meet Vivian Maier, the Reclusive Nanny Who Secretly Became One of the Best Street Photographers of the 20th Century A self-portrait taken in New York by Vivian Maierin 1954 Estate of Vivian Maier / Maloof Collection / Howard Greenberg Gallery, NYVivian Maier, a photographer who captured more than 150,000 evocative images of life in New York and Chicago in the mid-20th century, was overlooked for much of her career. A nanny by trade, Maier often left her negatives undeveloped, and in her later years, she stored much of her oeuvre in storage units whose contents eventually landed on the auction block. Thats how 30,000 of Maiers negatives ended up in the possession of amateur historian John Maloof, who spent several years tracking down additional examples of her work. In 2009, Maloof started sharing the photos online, where Maier quickly became a sensation, wrote Smithsonians Ellen Wexler in July. Everyone wanted to know about the recluse who had so adeptly captured 20th-century America.Published to mark the opening of the first major American retrospective dedicated to Maier, Wexlers article outlined the artists mysterious backstory: Though many of the families Maier worked for knew of her interest in photography, most never saw her prints, and one former employer even said, I never remotely thought that what she was doing would have some special artistic value. Today, Maier has been elevated to her rightful place as one of the 20th centurys pre-eminent street photographers, renowned for capturing images of everyday life framed with a stark humor and intuitive understanding of human emotion, according to Wexler.A Brief History of the United States Accents and Dialects Accents center on the pronunciation of words, while dialects encompass pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Here, the subjects of Grant Wood'sAmerican Gothic channel speaking styles popular in California and New York. Illustration by Meilan Solly / Background image via Art Institute of Chicago under public domainAcross the country, Americans speak English in dozens of different ways, each influenced by geography, settlement history and class differences. Historically, its about migration and who went where at a given time, linguist Jessi Grieser told Smithsonian contributor Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton. Speaking styles shape how people perceive each other, and theyre often divided into two categories: accents, which revolve around the pronunciation of words, and dialects, which cover pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Both tend to vary by region.In her article, Boyanton provided an overview of the accents and dialects heard in California, Texas, New Orleans, the American West and Appalachia. On the U.S.s East Coast, early 17th-century English settlers founded separate colonies that each had their own distinct manner of speaking. Because long-distance travel was difficult at the time, these styles evolved in isolation, resulting in greater linguistic variation in the region.As the country expanded west in the 19th century, white settlers from the East Coast moved inland, bringing their regional dialects with them. By then, travel was far easier, so dialects mixed more freely, producing a somewhat homogenized Western speaking style, wrote Boyanton. Changes are continuing to happen all the time, linguist Karen Adams said, but a simple truth remains: Everyone speaks a dialect, and everyone has an accent.Missed the Auroras in May? Heres How to See Them Next Time The northern lights appear near Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada, on May 11, 2024. Gunjan Sinha via AurorasaurusOn May 10 and 11, an unusually strong geomagnetic storm allowed people around the world to view the northern lights at latitudes where theyre rarely seen, from Florida to Spain. To help individuals who missed the stunning show improve their chances of future skywatching success, Smithsonians Carlyn Kranking posed some of the biggest northern lights questions to aurora chasers and scientists.Among these experts top tips: Schedule a trip to the Arctic Circle between September and March, the peak season for aurora-chasing, and venture out during the darkest hours of the day, typically just after midnight local time. If an international adventure isnt in the cards for you, keep an eye out for local forecasts of coronal mass ejections, which are responsible for producing the dazzling displays. Experts track these predictions and will start spreading the news on social media, so following aurora chasers and scientists could also bring you early alerts, Kranking wrote.Earth is currently experiencing a solar maximum, a period of heightened solar activity that will likely generate more auroras, though it remains to be seen whether any of these will rival the May show. As much as I would love a repeat of what happened on May 10, those are exceedingly rare events, aurora chaser Prisco Blanco told Smithsonian. A lot had to go right for that to happen. Even if the northern lights fail to return on a grand scale in 2025, stargazers will have plenty of options for nighttime viewing, including a total lunar eclipse in March and the annual Geminid, Perseid and Lyrid meteor showers.Photo credit for top image: Illustration by Meilan Solly / Clockwise from top left: Navy Petty Officer Second Class Hannah Mohr; Dorchester County Historical Society; Vincent Ledvina; ESRF / Paul Tafforeau, Vincent Beyrand; Martin Broen; Don Sniegowski via Flickr under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED; Estate of Vivian Maier / Maloof Collection / Howard Greenberg Gallery, NY; National Park Service; Kara Ingraham / Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute; Google EarthGet the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Last week, scientists conducted the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale, the rarest whale species on Earth. New Zealand Department of ConservationWhen a 16-foot, 3,000-pound mystery whale washed ashore on the South Island of New Zealand in July, even the worlds foremost cetacean experts were taken aback.Anton van Helden, a senior marine science adviser for New Zealands Department of Conservation, first saw a picture of the whale come across his phone while he was sitting on his couch, recovering from surgery. He had no doubt about what it was.I immediately went, Oh my goodness, its a spade-toothed whale! van Helden tells CNNs Lex Harvey. A lot of people didnt believe me.Van Heldens assessment turned out to be correct. The stocky, powerful-looking little animalas he describes the creature to CNNwas indeed a spade-toothed whale. The carcass was in remarkably good condition and appeared in a region of New Zealand that allowed researchers to perform the first-ever dissection of the species.But any initial disbelief from scientists was warranted: The spade-toothed species, part of the beaked whale family, is considered the rarest whale on Earth. Before now, it had only been spotted by humans six timesnever alive and never in the correct conditions for dissection. A 2012 study suggested the whales are exceptionally deep divers that dwell far below the surface of the South Pacific Ocean.Its very hard to do research on marine mammals if you dont see them at sea, Hannah Hendriks, a marine technical adviser for the Department of Conservation, told Charlotte Graham-McLay of the Associated Press (AP) after the initial discovery in July. Its a bit of a needle in a haystack. You dont know where to look.Much of the existing knowledge of the species was based on lower jaw and tooth samples collected on Pitt Island, 500 miles west of mainland New Zealand, in 1874, as well as partial remains found decades later. When specimens washed up in 2010 and 2017 on the North Islands, scientists could only undertake minimally invasive samplingand no dissectionbefore the whales were buried.This time, however, the research and dissection process, which began last week, was under the guidance of both scientists and members of local Mori tribes on the South Island. It aimed at elucidating both biological and cultural knowledge of the whale, known as a taonga, or sacred treasure, to the Mori people.As van Helden tells Eva Corlett of the Guardian, Were working around a dead animal, but its telling us about how it [lived], and also thats unpacking all of the life stories of the people involved around it.Not only was this tohor (whale) the first of its kind to be dissected by science, but it was also the first time our hap (subtribe) worked with scientists to pull together Indigenous and Western knowledge systems so we can all gain a better understanding of the whale and its behaviors, Rachel Wesley, a representative in the regional tribal government, says in a statement from the Department of Conservation.Initial findings from the extensive dissection offer the researchers new clues in understanding how spade-toothed whales liveas well as how this specific one died.One point of interest was the discovery of small vestigial teeth in the whales upper jaw. In a study of other beaked whale species, researchers determined that vestigial teeth receded as evolution favored suction feeding, primarily on squid.These little teeth embedded in the gum tells us something about their evolutionary history, van Helden says in the Department of Conservation statement. Its just another thing that we had no idea about.So too was the discovery of nine stomach chambers in the spade-toothed whale, some of which contained squid beaks and some lenses from the eyes of squid, a few parasitic worms and maybe some other parts of organisms that we are not quite sure of, van Helden says in the statement, confirming the importance of squid in the whales diet.As research on the whale continuesfrom new measurements to a CT scan of its headmore details will come into sharper focus.We also found interesting structures associated with both feeding and sound production. Weights and measurements and descriptions were made of various muscles and organs, to help us describe this species and make comparisons with related species, van Helden adds in the statement. These all add to the body of knowledge we are building.As for this specific individual, researchers believe that bruising around the head and a broken jaw indicate head trauma was the cause of death.Even as the dissection ends, the whale will have many scientific and cultural afterlives. Following the dissection, the local iwi, or tribes, will retain the jaw and teeth of the spade-toothed whale, which are sacred in Mori culture, according to the AP. The rest of the skeleton, featuring 3D-printed replacements for those parts, will wind up in the ThuraOtago Museum in Dunedin, where the public can revel in the presence of one of the worlds rarest mammals.Its a week Ill never forget in my life, van Helden says in the statement, describing the dissection. Its certainly a highlight, and its the start of the storytelling around this beautiful animal.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Biology, Cool Finds, Indigenous Peoples, Mammals, Mysteries, New Zealand, Scientists, Whales

This gold wreath thought to be from Corinth, Greece, dates to thethird to second century B.C.E. Brooklyn MuseumFrom ancient Egyptian jewelry to contemporary fashion, gold has been linked to opulence and wealth for millennia. A new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum is exploring why this particular metal has transfixed so many cultures throughout history and how its meaning has changed over time. Titled Solid Gold,Solid Gold will transport visitors through the many worlds of gold, its joyful, though at times heartbreaking, histories, says Matthew Yokobosky, the shows senior curator, in a statement. As a museum dedicated to bringing art and people in shared experiences, audiences will find inspiration, opening them to unexplored realms of beauty in their world.The show opens with a video of the 2018 launch of NASAs Parker Solar Probe, the first spacecraft to fly into the suns upper atmosphere. This footage sets the tone for an expansive, trippy show dedicated to the precious metal the Incas poetically called the tears of the sun, as Artnets Raquel Laneri writes. An installation view of "Solid Gold" at the Brooklyn Museum Paula Abreu PitaThe elaborate showcase, which includes items from around the world, is part of the museums 200th birthday celebrations. About half of the 500 items in the exhibition come from the Brooklyn Museums collections, including historic coins, Greek jewelry, Japanese screens and Renaissance altarpieces.I based the exhibition checklist on our impressive permanent collection, Yokobosky tells Vogues Christian Allaire. In reviewing our holdings, nearly 4,000 works are gold or have a gold aspect and span thousands of years, from ancient times to today.The shows opening galleries display an impressive array of artifacts that demonstrate the ancient worlds interest in gold, such as a sarcophagus dating to between 945 and 740 B.C.E. decorated with golden pigmentswhich are meant to mimic gold inlays. A golden ballgown fromBalenciaga's haute couture spring/summer 2020 collection Pari Dukovic / Trunk ArchiveThe exhibitions ancient artifacts are contrasted with contemporary artworks, films and designs. For instance, pieces of gold facial jewelry made in Panama around the first millennium C.E. are shown alongside examples of grills made in recent decades.As theNew York Times Aruna DSouza writes, This is ultimately a show about fashion.Among the highlights are splendid couture gowns from the Blonds, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Hubert de Givenchy, Marc Bohan, Azzedine Alaa and John Galliano while he was at the helm of Christian Dior, writes Vogue. Other items on view include a prototype of a necklace made for Elizabeth Taylor to wear in the film Cleopatra (1963) and a variety of Cartier jewels. A Roman bracelet from 379 to 395 C.E. decorated with gold, emeralds, sapphires and glass The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, CaliforniaMuseumgoers will also learn about golds origins, as well as the consequences connected to its production. Through artworks and artifacts, one section of the exhibition tells a global story of ecological transformation, environmental impact and the human repercussions that result from the search for this precious metal, per the statement. Nearby, a display of gold coins explores how currency was used to spread propaganda images of powerful rulers.In addition to golds cultural appeal, the exhibition also spotlights the lasting nature of the material itself. When it survives, gold provides researchers and archaeologists a window into the lives of cultures throughout history.Even though it doesnt corrode or tarnish, and thus can last a really long time, gold was commonly reused in the ancient worldmelted down and shaped into new forms, writes the Times. When it endures, it feels a little bit miraculous.Solid Gold is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through July 6, 2025. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Art History, Artifacts, Arts, Exhibitions, Exhibits, Fashion, Film, Gold, History, Jewelry, Museums, New York City, Painting, Pop culture, Sculpture

From a photogenic distance, Mount Fuji is a nearly perfect, usually snow-capped cone, protruding out of the Japanese island of Honshu and into the clear blue skies. But another view reveals the site of Mount Fujis last confirmed eruption, which began on December 16, 1707, during Japans Hoei era.The image of a tranquil Fuji became enshrined in Katsushika Hokusais 19th-century woodblock series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which, according to Franz Lidz in Smithsonian, juxtaposed the mountains calm permanence with the turbulence of nature and flux of daily life.But viewed from the southeastthe least admired view, according to anthropologist Frederick Starran imperfection hints at the mountains turbulent past. This excrescence, as Starr puts it, is the site of the 1707 eruption.The Hoei eruption, as its known, was anything but tranquil. It was likely triggered by an 8.6-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan on October 28, one of the most violent seismic events in Japanese history. A drawing depicting the Hei eruption Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsThe earthquake triggered massive tsunamis that killed thousands of Japanese and compressed magma chambers in Mount Fuji, building pressure and blocking off release vents simultaneously. Over the next 49 days, hot magma from deep within the volcano mixed with cooler magma, and stress within the volcano built until, on December 16, the pressure became too intense and the volcano began to erupt.The destruction was immense. The eruption spewed tons of tephrarock fragments ejected from the volcanointo Yokohama and Tokyo, some 60 miles east of Fuji. The cities were blanketed in over an inch and half of ash. The volcano released nearly 30 billion cubic feet of ash, leaving the atmosphere so densely clouded that residents had to light candles to see even during the daytime. Flows of mud, rock and other debris known as lahars devastated farms and villages in the volcanos proximity, and the buildup of ash in rivers and streams caused further flooding.While no official death toll was issued for the eruption, which lasted until January 1, many residents suffered respiratory problems related to the ash, especially in densely populated cities. In the countryside, devastated farmlands meant low food supply and starvation. Famine lasted a decade.The Hoei event was Mount Fujis biggest eruption in the Holocene epoch, the past 11,700 or so years of Earths history. On the volcanic explosivity index, the eruption scored a five out of eightvery large, based on the amount of debris displacedcomparable to the Mount St. Helens eruption of 1980.Although Fuji hasnt had any confirmed eruptions since Hoei, it might not be quiet forever. It is still considered an active volcano. Japanese authorities have produced predictions about where craters are likely to occur on Mount Fuji, as well as evacuation areas and guidelines for the tens of millions of residents in Tokyos metropolitan area should it erupt again.Meanwhile, the mark of the Hoei eruption is still evident on Fujis face, a reminder of its fiery past. As he hiked up the volcano a century ago, Starr described it as a regular crater-cone, bare of vegetation, composed of fresh-looking cinders the result of the last great eruption. Even that once spewing cavity is tranquil now, too, a silent witness to one of historys most violent volcanic explosions.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Japan, Mountains, Natural Disasters, On This Day in History, Volcanoes

A circa 1883 photograph of Lakota leader Sitting Bull Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsOn December 15, 1890, Major James McLaughlin of the United States Indian Service wired a telegram back to headquarters in Washington, D.C. He had stunning news: On his orders, Lakota resistance leader Sitting Bull was dead.The Indian police arrested Sitting Bull at his camp, 40 miles northwest of the agency, this morning at daylight. His followers attempted his rescue, and fighting commenced. Eight Indians were killed, including Sitting Bull and his son, Crow Foot, and several others wounded, McLaughlin wrote in the telegram, which was reprinted in the Chicago Daily Tribune.Sitting Bulls followers, probably 100 men, deserted their families and fled west up the Grand River, he continued. The police behaved nobly, and great credit is due them. Particulars by mail.But McLaughlins neutral language and lack of details obscured much about the showdown on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, as well as the years of conflict and resistance that preceded that fateful, frigid morning.Sitting Bull, also known as Tatanka Iyotake, was born around 1831. He was known for his opposition to U.S. encroachment on the northern Great Plains, the ancestral homelands of the Lakota people. He rejected integration with white settlers and became known as a leader of the non-treaty Indians.Sitting Bull and Wounded Knee | The American Buffalo | A Film by Ken Burns | PBSWatch on Not least because of his role in the infamous defeat of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer at the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull was an avowed enemy of men like McLaughlin, who led the U.S.s attempts to integrate, assimilate and rule Native Americans by force.In his 1910 memoir, My Friend The Indian, McLaughlin called Sitting Bull crafty, avaricious, mendacious and ambitious. He was by far the most influential man of his nation for many years.Indigenous influence and unity particularly worried the federal Indian Service, especially after a revived Ghost Dance spiritual movement reached the Lakota in 1890. Premised on an intense communal dance, the movement suggested that adopting ancestral traditions would deliver Indigenous Americans to a pre-European state of bliss, peace and freedom.As the U.S. Army tried to crush the movement before it spread further across the country, McLaughlin linked Sitting Bull to the Ghost Dancea perfect justification for his immediate arrest and removal from the reservation.Sitting Bull had gone with zest into the business of promoting the new religion, McLaughlin alleged. Knowing his people, and utilizing the mysticism with which he habitually preyed on their superstitions, he established himself as the high priest of the cult.On December 14, McLaughlin ordered the arrest of Sitting Bull in a letter to Lieutenant Bull Head, a Native American member of the Indian police. P.S., McLaughlin added. You must not let him escape under any circumstances. An 1890 depiction of the capture and death of Sitting Bull Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsThe next morning, Sitting Bull was awoken by officers knocking on the door of his cabin on the Grand River. He let them in. The naked, half-asleep leader looked wholly insignificant and breathed none of the defiance that might have been expected under the circumstances, historian Robert M. Utley wrote in The Last Days of the Sioux Nation.Bull Head told Sitting Bull that he was under arrest. Sitting Bull acquiesced, dressing and coming quietly out of his cabin. But his wife began to shout, and dogs from the village, woken by the dawn raid, barked, waking a gathering crowd.In the chaos, Sitting Bull began to call out, too. Then shots were fired.Piecing together the true story of what happened next is difficult because accounts from McLaughlin and the police are predominant. But when it was all over, Sitting Bull, his son, Bull Head and five others were dead.Panic spread across the reservation, and Lakota began to flee. Some made for the Pine Ridge Reservation, where, just two weeks later, they would be stopped and slaughtered by the U.S. Army in the Wounded Knee massacre.Sitting Bulls death, McLaughlin wrote triumphantly, put a stop forever to the domination of the ancient regime among the Sioux of the Standing Rock reservation.But Sitting Bulls legacy, contrary to McLaughlins wishes, did not diminish. As Sitting Bulls great-grandson told SmithsonianGet the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Charles de Gaulle talking to reporters in 1945 Bettmann via Getty ImagesLetters from Winston Churchill, a short story written under a pseudonym and a gold electronic wristwatch are some of the items once owned by Charles de Gaulle that will be up for auction next week.Together, the 372 lots are valued at about 1 million (roughly $1.05 million), according to the London TimesThe impressive stash of items was in a safe owned by Philippe de Gaulle, son of the famed military general and former French president. Philippe died in March at the age of 102. According to auctioneer Stphane Aubert, nobody in the de Gaulle family knew how valuable the safes contents were.It was a complete surprise, Aubert tells the Guardians Kim Willsher. Only the admiral Philippe de Gaulle had access to the safe, so when we opened it we really had no idea what we would find. It was a fabulous treasure trove. A history of the life of General de Gaulle, the savior of France.That treasure trove included the handwritten manuscript of de Gaulles celebrated 1940 speech in which he called upon the French to resist the Nazis. The then-brigadier general broadcast the appeal from London, where he had fled after the French agreed to collaborate with Nazi Germany. He met with Churchill, who granted him permission to deliver his speech on the BBC.Honor, common sense and the interests of the country require that all free Frenchmen, wherever they be, should continue the fight as best they may, de Gaulle said. He concluded the address: I call upon all Frenchmen who want to remain free to listen to my voice and follow me. Long live free France in honor and independence!The historically significant manuscript is not for sale, but it is on display at a public exhibition hosted by the auction house Artcurial.Other valuable manuscripts are up for auction, including one for The Enemys House Divided (1924), de Gaulles first book. The auction features a short story he wrote at just 14 years old, as well as another short story written several years later under the pseudonym Charles de Lugale.The collection also includes unpublished notebooks containing philosophical reflections, political analyses and literary commentary, per a statement from the auction house, offering rare insight into General de Gaulles ongoing intellectual development.A number of de Gaulles private letters are for sale, including notes he sent his wife during battle in 1940 and coded missives he wrote to his mother while in captivity as a prisoner of war during World War I.We are still trying to establish what code he used and what he said, Aubert tells the Guardian. They were able to communicate, but only de Gaulle and his mother knew the code.There are letters from Churchill in which he expresses concern about Soviet expansionism in 1946, according to the Times, and messages from dancer and singer Josephine Baker signed your loyal and dirty resistant.Along with the stash of written artifacts, a number of personal trinkets and mementos will be on sale, including de Gaulles wristwatch, a table clock and a toy soldier from his childhood.A portion of the auctions proceeds will be donated to the Anne de Gaulle Foundation. Named for de Gaulles daughter, who had Down syndrome, the foundation provides housing and support to people with disabilities.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Auctions, Books, British History, Cool Finds, European History, France, Historical Documents, History, Nazis, World Leaders, World War II

A representation of the evolution of the universe over 13.77 billion years. NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterAstronomers have long understood that the universe is expandingin other words, the space in between cosmic objects that arent bound by gravity is getting ever more vast. Then, in 1998, scientists discovered the universes rate of expansion is accelerating.In the years since, researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have observed that the current expansion rate, called the Hubble constant, is faster than what standard cosmology models estimate it should be. This mystery of inconsistent measurements has been dubbed the Hubble tension.Now, a team of researchers has used data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to confirm Hubbles measurementsand thus, the mystery persists. Their study, published Monday in The Astrophysics Journal, suggests the discrepancy may be caused by an as-yet unknown feature in the universe, rather than an error in telescope measurement.The finding suggests that our understanding of the universe may be incomplete, Adam Riess, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University and lead author of the study, says in a statement. Riess co-received the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering that the universes expansion is accelerating in 1998.With two NASA flagship telescopes now confirming each others findings, we must take this [Hubble tension] problem very seriouslyits a challenge but also an incredible opportunity to learn more about our universe, he adds in the statement.Riess and his team used JWST data to measure the distances from Earth to specific kinds of galaxies with pulsating stars called Cepheid variables, which are the gold standard for measuring cosmic distances, per the statement. With these measurements, they calculated the universes rate of expansion. The JWST results were consistent with the Hubble ones, which effectively rules out the possibility of the Hubble tension resulting from human or instrument error. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field is a snapshot of about 10,000 galaxies in a tiny patch of sky, taken by NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), the HUDF TeamBut the curious thing was the rate they calculated. The universes expansion rate is expressed in kilometers per second per megaparsec. (A megaparsec equals 3.26 million light-years.) Widely accepted cosmology models have used light from the early universe to put the Hubble constant of universe expansion at about 67 to 68 km/s/Mpc.The now-confirmed telescope observations, however, yield an average of 73 km/s/Mpc.As Emilee Speck puts it for FOX Weather, the problem with science is that answering one question creates many more. If the measurements arent wrong, then perhaps its the standard cosmology models that are flawed.Yes, it appears there is something missing in our understanding of the universe, Riess tells Reuters Will Dunham. Our understanding of the universe contains a lot of ignorance about two elementsdark matter and dark energyand these make up 96 percent of the universe, so this is no small matter.Dark matter, hypothesized to make up 27 percent of the universe, is some unknown material that affects the rest of the cosmos with its gravity. Dark energy, on the other hand, is thought to make up some 68 percent of the universe, and scientists speculate it might be responsible for the universes expansion. And now, the new findings suggest it perhaps accounts for the unexplained acceleration of that expansion, too.The more work we do, the more it is apparent that the cause is something much more interesting than a telescope flaw, Riess tells Live Sciences Ben Turner. [The] next steps are many. More data on many fronts and new ideas are needed.One possible explanation for the Hubble tension would be if there was something missing in our understanding of the early universe, such as a new component of matterearly dark energythat gave the universe an unexpected kick after the Big Bang, Marc Kamionkowski, a cosmologist at Johns Hopkins who helped calculate the Hubble constant but was not involved in the new study, says in the statement. And there are other ideas, like funny dark matter properties, exotic particles, changing electron mass or primordial magnetic fields that may do the trick. Theorists have license to get pretty creative.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Astronomers, Astronomy, James Webb Space Telescope, Mysteries, New Research, Nobel Prizes, Outer Space, telescope, universe

Suffragettes protest along a London street wearing sandwich boards in 1912. Hulton-Deutsch Collection / CORBIS / Corbis via Getty ImagesJust three days after World War I ended on Armistice Day, 1918, Bonar Law, the leader of Britains Conservative Party, announced that a general election would be held on December 14.It would be no ordinary electionfor the first time in British history, women over the age of 30 who met a minimum property requirement could vote in a parliamentary election.This election came at a time of considerable confusion in British politics, wrote historian Trevor Wilson. David Lloyd George, the Liberal prime minister, had risen to power based on conservative support during the war and would have to reassemble a coalition to stay in power.His task was made even more confusing because demographics and voting rights were in profound flux in Britain. Eight hundred and eighty thousand British combatants died during the war, a whopping 6 percent of the adult male population. To compensate, the Representation of the People Act of February 6 abolished almost all property qualifications for male voters over 21.The effect of this new law was stunning. The electorate nearly tripled from 7.7 million voters to 21.4 million. With the stroke of a pen, women had become 43 percent of the electorate.The same year also saw the passage of the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act, which allowed women to run as candidates for members of Parliament for the first time. Of the 17 women who stood for this historic election, 15 had backgrounds in the suffrage movement.How the women's vote will go, whether the married women voters will be swayed by their husband's political views or not, are all matters of speculation, the Evening Express wrote shortly after the general election was announced.r Punchcelebrating the women's right to vote Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsBut though popular politics were spreading across the British Isles, party leaders made crucial decisions about the election behind closed doors. As historian Matthew Johnson notes, during the war in 1916, Lloyd George and Law had executed what was effectively a political coup dtat against H.H. Asquith, the incumbent Liberal prime minister, forcing him out of office and consigning him to a political wilderness when Lloyd George took over as premier.Although he was a Liberal just like Asquith, Lloyd George cozied up to the Conservatives in a state of what Wilson called open hostility to the party of which he still claimed to be a member.Because this coalition was now more important than party designations, Lloyd George and Law officially endorsed their preferred candidates with a signed letter known as a coupon. Consequently, the 1918 general election became known as the Coupon Election.In total, the leaders gave coupons to 364 Conservative candidates, 159 Liberals, 20 members of the short-lived National Democratic and Labour Party (not to be confused with the modern-day Labour Party), and two Coalition Labour candidates. There were now, in effect, two Liberal parties. One, led by Lloyd George, supported the coalition with the Tories and had coupons to prove it. The other, led by Asquith, neither supported the coalition nor had coupons.By the time the election took place this day in 1918, the coupon coalition was so electorally strong that the result was already certain, according to the Bristol Times and Mirror. Only 63 recipients of the coupon lost a race. The coalition sailed into power with a 283-seat majority, and Lloyd George stayed on as prime minister.Constance Markievicz was the only woman elected of the 17 female candidates who ran. But as a member of Sinn Fein, an Irish nationalist party, she refused to take her seat in Westminster. (Nancy Astor, who ran for her husbands old seat in 1919, would later become the first woman to be seated in Parliament.)More shocking, however, was the revelation that a historically low 57 percent of the eligible electorate voted in the 1918 general election. Rainand to some extent apathykept polling slow and low, the Sunday Mirror reported, likely reflecting a deep malaise and trauma settling over the war-torn country.Still, the nations newest constituency was the most enthusiastic in this historic election. Eagerly arriving to exercise their new franchise at polling stations, the Sunday Mirror commented, women were obviously determined to show that they were not apathetic towards the great issues of the election. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

A mantel clock designed by Andr-Charles Boulle with a movement byClaude Martinot (circa1726) The Trustees of the Wallace CollectionAn exhibition at Londons Wallace Collection is exploring the art of timekeeping by showcasing five breathtaking clocks designed by Andr-Charles Boulle, the famed 18th-century Parisian craftsman.Titled Keeping Time: Clocks by Boulle, the show celebrates the designers ornate style. Boulle was a renowned cabinetmaker for Frances Louis XIV, and he operated out of a workshop in the Louvre, where he built tables, candle stands and whatever else French royalty and nobles desired, per theGuardians Jonathan Jones. During that time, he also created his elaborate clocks.As confections of marquetry and gilt bronze, [Boulles clocks] epitomize the spectacle of the French Baroque, Alexander Collins, a curator at the Wallace Collection, tellsArtnets Verity Babbs. A mantel clock designed by Andr-Charles Boulle with a movement by Jean Jolly (circa 1715) The Trustees of the Wallace CollectionToday, high-end timepieces are ubiquitous symbols of luxury and quality. However, Enlightenment clockmakers like Boulle were pioneers in merging technical precision with artistry. The Dutch scientistChristiaan Huygens changed the game in 1656 with the invention of the pendulum. Boulle learned how to take the new technology and turn it into something beautiful.These clocks were at the cutting edge of 18th-century technology, combining exquisite artistry and mechanical expertise into a unique and innovative blend, says Xavier Bray, the Wallace Collections director, in a statement. Through Boulles clocks and the display, we hope visitors will be able to transport themselves into the world of Louis XIV.Boulle did not make his ornamental timepieces alone. He relied on a team of artists and craftspeople to create each clock, which were designed to signal that their owners came from wealth. Made from expensive materials, they also featured images that incorporated motifs from antiquity and myth, per Artnet. A wardrobe clock designed by Andr-Charles Boulle with a movement by Pierre Gaudron (1715) Trustees of the Wallace CollectionFigures likeVenus andCupid make appearances in scenes that champion love and life. Meanwhile, Father Time is often depicted holding his scythe, signifying that every moment is fleeting.Boulles clocks dont deny the existence of time, writes the Guardian. For all their luscious decor their faces are simple, clear, modern, telling time with a claim to real precision. But their symbols tell you not to be afraid. Love and live, they say, and forget the clock.Alongside Boulles clocks, the Wallace Collection is also showcasing Enlightenment-era artworks that explore similar themes. Nicolas Poussins A Dance to the Music of Time (1634-6) portrays four figures representing the four seasons moving in a circular formation, like a clock. They are dancing to the melody of Father Time, who is pictured playing a lyre. Also on display isFranois AnguiersThe Borghese DancersHorae, mythological goddesses symbolizing time and the changing seasons.Keeping Time: Clocks by Boulle is on view at the Wallace Collection in London through March 2, 2025.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Artists, Arts, Baroque, Crafts, Designers, Exhibitions, Exhibits, France, London, Myth

DNA on Earth is built from sugars with a property known as right-handedness. Though left-handed sugars aren't used by any known life, scientists can create thembut now, researchers say they shouldn't. Yuichiro ChinoOn Thursday, a group of notable scientists, including Nobel Prize winners and global health experts, issued a warning against researchers synthesizing a type of artificial cell that could rampage through life on Earth with practically no barriers to stop it.Mirror cells, as they are known, could one day compose mirror life, a type of synthetic organism that, on the molecular level, is the complete reverse of the life forms we know. But the 38 co-authors of the warning article published in the journal Science recommend that research into mirror life be blocked immediately, before it spirals out of control.To understand mirror life, consider good old-fashioned life. The building blocks of life, like DNA and proteins, all have a property called chirality. Derived from the Greek word for handedness, chirality means that these fundamental biomolecules come in two varieties: with either a right-handed or left-handed orientation. DNA, for instance, is made up of a right-handed double helix of sugars, like a ladder twisted only in a certain direction. Proteins, by contrast, are made up of left-handed amino acids.The opposite hands for both amino acids and sugars exist in the universe, but they just arent utilized by any known biological life form, Danielle Sedbrook wrote for Smithsonian magazine in 2016. That selection is one of the strangest aspects of life on Earth.Right- and left-handed molecules are not interchangeable, just like how your left hand wont neatly fit into your right-handed glove. However, when you hold your left hand up to a mirror, it appears as if it were the same orientation as your right.In recent years, scientists have begun to synthetically create these mirror versions of real-life moleculesright-handed proteins and left-handed sugarsin the lab.Should this research continue into building mirror cells, the consequences could be globally disastrous, Jack Szostak, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist at the University of Chicago and co-author of the new article, tells Carl Zimmer of the New York Times.The profound consequences start at a molecular level. Right-handed amino acids seem quite similar to their left-handed counterparts. But in fact, theyre significantly harder to break down, because the enzymes in Earths life are built to degrade proteins with left-handed chirality. To use an analogy from the New York Times, you cant twist open a lid counterclockwise when the threads run the opposite direction.To optimists, this property of mirror molecules could prove useful in the fight against chronic disease.If you give therapeutics to a person, especially protein or nucleic acid therapeutics, digestive enzymes in the body break them down rapidly, sometimes within minutes, Michael Kay, a biochemist at the University of Utah and a co-author of the warning in Science, says in a statement. This can make it very challenging to treat chronic illnesses in a way thats cost-effective and convenient.Mirror molecules, on the other hand, are not recognized by those digestive enzymes, Kay adds, opening up the possibility that they could remain effective as therapeutics for a much longer period of time.Kay Lab D-Peptide DiscoveryWatch on But this same property could also make the cells dangerous. In a 299-page technical report that accompanied the article in Science, the team highlighted how sufficiently robust mirror bacteria could spread through the environment unchecked by natural biological controls.The effects of these potentially dangerous opportunistic pathogens, the authors write, would extend to an unprecedentedly wide range of other multicellular organisms, including humans.Mirror cells constructed in a lab could infect workers without triggering any resistance from their immune systems, according to the New York Times. From there, the cells could spread with similar stealth until a mirror pandemic gets out of control.These synthetic life forms would threaten more than just humans. Other animals and plants would put up similarly weak defenses. Entire ecosystems could be at risk. The impact on the food chain would be devastating, Deepa Agashe, a biologist at the National Center for Biological Sciences in India, tells the Times.This doomsday scenario sounds like science fiction. But the authors of the warning, many of them synthetic biologists, are acutely aware of the dangers that their research, if unchecked, could pose to the world.We think theres an opportunity, before anyones livelihood depends on this, to define responsible lines of research, lines that should be carefully evaluated by regulatory authorities, and the lines we shouldnt cross, Kay says in the statement.In a separate article published in the Scientist, John Glass and Kate Adamala, both synthetic biologists who also signed onto the article in Science, argue that the risks of this work far outweigh the benefits.Curiosity is not a good enough reason to create something that could be so dangerous, they write. For the good of mankindand science itselfwe must avoid the creation of mirror life.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Biology, Disease, DNA, Health, Innovations, Inventions, Medicine, Microbes, Bacteria, Viruses, Pandemic, Scientists

An artist's illustration shows the James Webb Space Telescope peering out into the solar system toward the asteroid belt. Ella Maru and Julien de WitEvery few years, an asteroid thats about the size of a bus strikes Earth. These rocks are much smaller than the one thatdrove dinosaurs to extinction, but they can still have a significant impact. And yet, their relatively small sizes made it difficult for surveys to spot them in advance.Now, an international team of astronomers has located more than 100 of these so-called decameter asteroids, named because they measure tens of meters in diameter, or roughly 30 to 1,600 feet across. For the study, published Monday in the journal Nature, they employed an image processing technique originally used to search for exoplanets. As a result, they spotted the smallest asteroids ever detected in the main belt, a vast field of rubble between Mars and Jupiter.These asteroid findings fill an important knowledge gap for tracing the source of meteorites and larger potentially hazardous asteroids in Earths vicinity, study co-author Richard Binzel, a physicist at MIT, tells Sky & Telescopes David L. Chandler.Compared to larger asteroids, decameter asteroids have less stable orbits, making it much more likely for them to depart from the main asteroid belt and slam against another cosmic entity, such as Earth. But even a tiny asteroid can cause real damagethe famous Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013 was a small decameter asteroid. These events can send shockwaves through entire regions, according to a statement from MIT.Ask Smithsonian: What Would Happen if a Large Asteroid Hit the Moon?Watch on Given the potential risks, NASA and collaborators like the European Space Agency (ESA) have long worked on developing an early detection system for observing and tracking asteroids. When an asteroid somewhat bigger than a cat flew over Siberia last week, the ESA was able to issue an alert around half a day in advance. While not perfect, our ability to spot asteroids before they hit is improving, astrophysicist Alan Fitzsimmons of Queens University Belfast in Northern Ireland said to New Scientists Matthew Sparkes about the recent warning.In general, the new method for spotting decameter asteroids is expected to contribute greatly toward scientists databases as they further refine these warning systems. The research team sifted through existing images of the TRAPPIST-1 star system taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, which had initially been captured to find exoplanets.The method they used, called the shift and stack technique, assembles dozens to hundreds of images of fast-moving objects. Eventually, the frames collect into a faint picture that emerges from background noise, or the other random objects that are not the subject of investigation.Usually, this would only be possible if the observer had a good idea of what orbit a certain object moves in, which isnt the case for asteroids. The MIT team was able to bypass this complication by depending on powerful computational tools designed for graphic processing to search blindly, testing every possible direction and reasonable speed for the asteroids, explains lead author Artem Burdanov, a research scientist at MIT, to Sky & Telescope. We decided to push the limits to see how faint objects we could find with this telescope.From the initial search results, Burdanov and his colleagues found more than 1,000 candidates. Then, they reviewed each image to narrow the list down, eventually confirming the discovery of 138 new decameter asteroids. And theyre hoping to find thousands more in the archives of astronomy data that have yet to be analyzed, using the same method, MIT planetary scientistJulien de Wit, a co-author of the study, tells the publication.This is a totally new, unexplored space we are entering, thanks to modern technologies, Burdanov adds in the statement. Its a good example of what we can do as a field when we look at the data differently. Sometimes theres a big payoff, and this is one of them.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Asteroids, Astronomy, James Webb Space Telescope, Meteors, New Research, Outer Space, Solar System, telescope

Studies of Male Heads, Helmets for Soldiers and Facial Features, Michelangelo, circa Hamburger Kunsthalle / bpk / Christoph IrrgangIn the early 16th century, three of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance circled each other in Florence, vying for influence and looking for inspiration. Now, an exhibitiontitled Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504at the Royal Academy of Arts in London reexamines the renowned trio.The show spotlights the year 1504 because thats when the three came together. Michelangelo, who had just completed his statue David, and Leonardo da Vinci were already in Florence; Raphael traveled to the city that year to study Leonardos work.Leonardo, who was around 52, was celebrated as a painter, engineer and multidisciplinary explorer in the realms of science and philosophy, writes Charles Nicholl, author of Leonardo da Vinci: The Flights of the Mind, forGuardian. Meanwhile, Michelangelo, 29, was a rising star, brash, truculent and already sporting the famous boxers nose, smashed in a fight with a rival sculptor; Raphael, 21, was a talented young unknown scouting for new inspiration and patronage.The Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John (The "Taddei Tondo"), Michelangelo, circaRoyal Academy of Arts, London / Prudence Cuming Associates LimitedThe show features more than 40 works, beginning with the Taddei Tondo (circa 1504-5), Michaelangelos only marble sculpture in the United Kingdom. Commissioned by art patron and cloth merchant Taddeo Taddei, the unfinished white marble relief features an infant John the Baptistpresenting a bird to the infant Christ, who is held in Marys arms.Raphael, a friend of Taddeo Taddei, was inspired by the Taddei Tondo. Several years later, the piece would influence the artists Bridgewater Madonna (1507-8), a painting featured nearby in the exhibition.In the painting, [Raphael] adopts the tondos entwined figures, the serpentine movement of Jesus across his mothers lap, and brings vibrant color and tender eleganceMarys enclosing clasp, the baby tugging her veil, as theFinancial Times Jackie Wullschlger writes.Leonardos Burlington House Cartoon (circa 1506-8) is the focus of the shows central gallery. The work was likely created as a presentation drawing: a full-sized study of what the planned picture might look like, which could be shown to a patron, or group of patrons, per Londons National Gallery. The piece is the only large-scale drawing by Leonardo to survive.The Virgin and Child with St. Anne and the Infant St. John the Baptist ("The Burlington House Cartoon"),The National Gallery, LondonThe show ends with a collection of drawings by Leonardo and Michelangelo, created in preparation for projects intended to adorn the Palazzo Vecchio. Florences government commissioned Leonardo to paint a mural, the Battle of Anghiari,Battle of Cascina in the same hall.The frescoes were never completed, but the drawings shed light on the two artists generative relationship. Leonardo maintains his fascination with extreme facial expressions, while Michelangelo excels at the male nude in action, with every muscle outlined, crosshatched and highlighted, writes the New York Times Emily LaBarge.In some of the drawings, adds the Times, the two men swap preoccupations, as though looking over each others shoulders, tentatively testing the waters, before returning to what they do best.Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504 is on view at the Royal Academy of Arts in London through February 16, 2025.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Art History, Arts, Drawing, Exhibitions, Exhibits, Italy, Leonardo Da Vinci, London, Michelangelo, Painters, Painting, Raphael, Renaissance, Visual Arts

The five womenMarie-Jose Loshi, Monique Bitu Bingi, Lea Tavares Mujinga, Simone Ngalula and Nolle Verbekentook legal action against the Belgian state for the suffering they endured as children. AP Photo / Francisco SecoWhen Congo was under Belgian colonial rule between 1908 and 1960, thousands of mixed-race children were abducted from their Black mothers and raised as orphans in Catholic institutions and homes. Five of these victimsa group of women now in their 70s and 80shave been fighting for Belgiums government to acknowledge the suffering they endured as young children.Last week, a Brussels appeals court ruled that the Belgian state had committed a crime against humanity. The state must now pay each woman 50,000 (about $52,000) for the moral damage resulting from the loss of their connection to their mother and the damage to their identity and their connection to their original environment, said the judges.At last, weve been heard, and the courts have ruled in our favor, plaintiff Lea Tavares Mujinga tells Agence France-Presse. Its a very large part of our lives that was taken away from us, that the Belgian state had broken. Well never be able to get it back. But at least its a gesture of some relief.For many decades, Belgium ruled what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. Interracial relations were condemned, and children of Black mothers and white fathers werent recognized by the governmentunless they were accepted by their white parent. Otherwise, many of these children, known asmtis, became wards of the state.Tavares Mujinga was 2 years old when Belgian authorities took her from her mother and brought her to a mission in Katende around 1946. The all-girls orphanage was run by nuns, who told their charges they were children of sin, per theGuardians Jennifer Rankin. The childrens parentage was selectively obfuscated.I grew up thinking my father was dead, Simone Ngalula, who was brought to Katende in 1952, toldSmithsonian magazines Jocelyn C. Zuckerman last year. They told us that our father was the state, Papa ltat. Simone Ngalula and Lea Tavares Mujinga in 2020 John Thys / AFP via Getty ImagesThe children of Katende were underfed and abused. As Tavares Mujinga told Smithsonian magazine, her legs are scarred from ulcers she developed at Katende due to malnutrition. On her forehead is a square-shaped indentation from a particularly forceful smack from a nun she received when she was 5.When Belgian Congo gained independence in 1960, the girls of Katende were abandoned, and during the ensuing unrest, many of them were sexually assaulted. Years later, four of the plaintiffs became Belgian citizens, and the fifth, Marie-Jos Loshi, became a citizen of France. In 2018, the five women gathered for a barbeque at Monique Bitu Bingis house, where they told their story to their children and decided to take legal action, reports theNew York Times Jenny Gross and Elian Peltier.In 2019, Belgiums governmentapologized for the countrys role in the Congo kidnappings, and Belgiums King Philippe affirmed his deepest regrets for these past wounds in Congo the following year.In 2021, the five women argued their case in a lower court and lost. They decided to appealand now, three years later, theyve won.This is a victory and a historic judgment, says Michle Hirsch, one of the womens lawyers, per the Guardian. It is the first time in Belgium and probably in Europe that a court has condemned the Belgian colonial state for crimes against humanity.Bitu Bingis daughter, Monique Fernandes, tells theAssociated Press Raf Casert that the verdict has given her mother a sense of closure.I feel so relieved, Bitu Bingi tells the Times. The Belgian government took my youth away, and it was something I had to fight for, to explain to the world what happened.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Africa, African History, children , Colonialism, Congo, Crime, European History, History, Law, Racism

Monarch butterflies are well-known and beloved migratory pollinators in North America. NNehring via Getty ImagesFor generations, monarch butterflies have traveled thousands of miles across North America in remarkable, long-distance migrations. But like many other pollinators, human activity and climate change have cast a shadow over the future of these beloved insects.In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is taking a step toward protecting monarchs: The agency proposed listing monarch butterflies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act on Tuesday, which would extend federal protection to the species. The proposal will be subject to a 90-day public comment period before potentially taking effect.The iconic monarch butterfly is cherished across North America, captivating children and adults throughout its fascinating life cycle, Martha Williams, director of the USFWS, says in a statement. Working together, we can help make this extraordinary species a legacy for our children and generations to come.Listing of any creature as endangered under the Endangered Species Act prevents people, including farmers, from killing or transporting the species or making changes to the land in a way that harms it. Threatened species receive similar safeguards, but with exceptions. Specific to the butterflies, the proposal would designate 4,395 acres of land in coastal California as a protected habitat for monarch migration. People would still be allowed to transport groups of fewer than 250 monarchs and use them for education. A monarch butterfly alights on a flower outside the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Sarah A. Tietbohl / Smithsonian GardensScientists generally agree that the monarch population has undergone a steep decline in the last few decades. Estimates suggest that monarchs found west of the Rocky Mountains have dwindled by 95 percent in recent decades, and monarchs east of the Rockies90 percent of the U.S. monarch populationhave declined by 80 percent. The causes of this drop-off are numerous, including pesticides, logging, climate change and other human activities.The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified monarch butterflies as endangered in 2022. Later, they were recategorized as vulnerable, a less pressing arrangement. But even then, some experts argued the species should receive an even milder designation of least concern.In the United States, the monarchs vulnerability depends on the region, Kristen Lundh, a biologist in the USFWS, tells the Associated Press. For instance, by 2080, western monarchs have a 99 percent chance of extinction, per the statement. For the monarchs east of the Rockies, that number is lower, falling between 56 and 74 percent. Officials stress the importance of public collaboration when it comes to protecting monarchs. GomezDavid via Getty ImagesAsCatrin Einhorn writes for the New York Times,a planet-wide extinction ofmonarchs is not believed to be a large threat. Rather, their migration patterns are more at risk, having been significantly disrupted by human activity.For now, monarchs are plentiful. This means that officials are walking a tightrope with the proposal, per theNew York Times. Although recent trends support the need for protections, the proposal would make monarchs the most commonly seen species to be listed as endangered, reports the publication.Endangered designation for a common species is jarring, Robert Robbins, a research entomologist and curator of Lepidoptera at the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History, says in a statement to Smithsonian magazine. As the late expert Lincoln Brower made clear, migration of the North American monarch is in danger from climate change and forest clearing in Mexico (where some monarchs overwinter), but the butterfly appears to be adapting and is common in the autumn in Eastern U.S. cities, suburbs and rural areas.Too much protection for the insect might invoke resentment from farmers or land developers. But too little would render the action essentially meaningless.Officials want to avoid either situation. If anything, one key aspect of the new proposal is getting landowners, farmers, conservationists and everyday citizens on board, Clay Bolt, the World Wildlife Funds manager of pollinator conservation, tells CNNs Rachel Ramirez. Stabilizing and reversing population trends requires an all-hands approach.There arent that many species where everyday people in their backyard can do something to help an endangered species, Jake Li, assistant director for ecological services at USFWS, says to the New York Times. Thats, to me, one thing that makes monarchs so different and why we want to put a heavier thumb on the scale of incentives for people to help us conserve the species.Despite (the monarchs) fragility, it is remarkably resilient, like many things in nature when we just give them a chance, Williams, of the USFWS, tells CNN. Science shows that the monarch needs that chance, and this proposed listing invites and builds on unprecedented public participation in shaping monarch conservation efforts.Public comments on the proposal can be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from December 12 until March 12, 2025.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Researchers found that in 2023, a decrease in low-altitude clouds, specifically over the Atlantic Ocean, drove an increase in the planet's temperature. DeAgostini / R. Della Chiesa via Getty ImagesWith an average temperature of almost 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels, 2023 was the hottest year ever registered. But after breaking the record for the hottest day twice in one week this past summerand setting other heat records throughout2024 is now effectively certain to take its place. While factors including greenhouse gases, El Nio and volcanic eruptions likely played a role in the heat last year, researchers say they still dont account for an unexplainable 0.2 degrees Celsius of warming.Now, scientists in Germany have suggested a surprising explanation: declining cloud cover. Their findings were published last week in the journal Science.2023 [took] us by surprise, and 2024 continues to do so, study co-author Thomas Jung, a climate scientist at the University of Bremen, tells CBC News Nicole Mortillaro. And you know, we had some explanations for some of the warming [but] there was this gap, this 0.2 or so degree of global warming that was unexplained. So, the idea was to find out where that was coming from.The team analyzed observational data and weather models from NASA satellites and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and discovered that 2023 had surprisingly low albedothe amount of solar radiation a planet reflects back into space. Pale-colored surfaces, such as snow and ice, reflect more light. Albedo, appropriately, means whiteness in Latin, as Peter de Kruijff notes for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.But if Earth is reflecting less radiation, that means its absorbing more of it, heating the planet.We had already observed a slight decline [in albedo] in recent years, Thomas Rackow, a scientist and ocean modeler at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, says in a statement. But the data indicates that in 2023, the planetary albedo may have been at its lowest since at least 1940.When the researchers modeled what the average temperature in 2023 would have been without the recent albedo decrease seen since 2020, the result fit like a puzzle piece: The modeled temperature was approximately 0.23 degrees Celsius lower than the real-world one.The researchers then wondered what could have caused the sudden drop in albedo. Though highly reflective snow and ice is declining in the Arctic, our analysis of the datasets shows that the decline in surface albedo in the polar regions only accounts for roughly 15 percent of the most recent decline in planetary albedo, Helge Goessling, a climate physicist at the Alfred Wegener Institute and lead author of the study, explains in the statement.They identified a decline in low-altitude clouds, specifically over parts of the Atlantic Ocean. This trend is consistent with the extreme 2023 temperatures seen in those same regions. Low-altitude clouds, in particular, play a strong role in cooling the planet. While all clouds reflect solar radiation back into space, those at higher altitudes also trap some radiation within the atmosphere. Lower altitude clouds, on the other hand, dont cause this warming effect.It really is quite striking that this, this decrease of the cloud cover, is mostly happening in the lower levels, Goessling tells New Scientists Madeleine Cuff. Unlike high-altitude clouds, low-altitude clouds don't trap much warmth and primarily reflect light. Alfred-Wegener-Institut / Yves NowakNow, the new question is, whats driving the decrease in low-lying clouds? The researchers considered several options. For example, due to recent shipping regulations, the world has seen a decrease in the use of aerosols, which reflect sunlight and sustain cloud formation. Global warming and climate change might also be partially responsible, potentially affecting how low clouds form. The true answer, however, is still unclear.We still do not know for sure that these changes in cloud behavior are not due to short-term variabilitywhich would return to more normal conditions with timeor if they represent a new ongoing change to the climate system, Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth who was not involved in the study, tells NBC News Evan Bush.Either way, if a large part of the decline in albedo is indeed due to feedbacks between global warming and low clouds, as some climate models indicate, we should expect rather intense warming in the future, Goessling says in the statement.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Atlantic Ocean, Climate Change, Environment, Global Warming, Heat, New Research, Oceans, World Records

St. John the Baptist and St. Jerome in a detail fromThe Madonna and Child With Saints The National Gallery, LondonA beautifully restored 16th-century painting is now on public display in London. The tall, narrow altarpiece, calledThe Madonna and Child With Saints (1526-7), was created byParmigianino, a young master who belonged to a subversive artistic movement in the early 1500s: ItalianMannerism.The artwork had been hidden from view since the conservation efforts began ten years ago. LondonsNational Gallery will showcase the painting alongside Parmigianinos sketches as part of its 200th anniversary programming.It will be such a thrill to have this masterwork back on our gallery walls, its visionary qualities once again on display to the public, saysMatthias Wivel, the gallerys curator of 16th-century Italian paintings, in astatement. Parmigianino completed The Madonna and Child With Saints in 1527. The National Gallery, LondonParmigianino, who was born in the Italian city of Parma in 1503, was only 23 when he was commissioned to paint The Madonna and Child With Saints for a chapel of theChurch of San Salvatore in Rome.He was at work on the piece during the 1527sack of Rome, when the armies of Charles Vinvaded the city. According to an account by fellow artistGiorgio Vasari, troops burst into Parmigianinos studio during the invasion, but they were so amazed by what they saw that they allowed him to continue, demanding he make drawings for them in exchange for leaving him unharmed, per the statement.The 12-foot-tall altarpiecealso known as The Vision of St. Jeromeis wild, quirky and gets more subversive the longer you look at it, as theGuardians Jonathan Jones writes. From background to foreground, the painting depicts a haloedVirgin Mary, a youngJesusstanding between her knees,St. Jerome asleep on the ground, andSt. John the Baptist, clad sparsely in animal skins, pointing a crooked finger toward the figures behind him.Parmigianinos unusual depiction of Jerome has been interpreted in numerous ways, as exhibition curator Maria Alambritis tellsArtnets Vittoria Benzine. Perhaps the artist was referencing the Vaticans sculptureSleeping Ariadne, a copy of a second century B.C.E. artwork, or emphasizing Jeromes dream state. Alternatively, as the Guardian writes, Parmigianino may have been referencingCorreggios sensualVenus and Cupid With a Satyr (1524-25), in which the goddess sleeps in a similar position. Mary and Jesus in a detail fromThe Madonna and Child With Saints The National Gallery, LondonIn the whole of art, in all the zillions of altarpieces out there, there cannot be many depictions of religious events as wayward and wacky as this, writes the LondonTimes Waldemar Januszczak.By the 1520s, Renaissance artists like Michelangelo had mastered realism. Parmigianino was part of a new wave of painters who experimented with artifice. These artists became known as theMannerists for their new manner of painting. Theyplayed with proportions, distorted space and exaggerated human anatomy (see Parmigianinos so-called Madonna with the long neck). Per the Guardian, Parmigianino is the most mannered Mannerist of all.The National Gallery will display a selection of chalk and ink drawings Parmigianino made before painting The Madonna and Child With Saints, allowing us all to partake vicariously in his dynamic, fluid and ever-shifting creative process, as Wivel says in the statement. A self-portrait by Parmigianino that showcases his Mannerist style Parmigianino / Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsParmigianino left Rome before his painting was installed, and he spent most of his remaining life in Parma. The piece was hidden for safekeeping and wasnt recovered until long after Parmigianinos death, per the statement. The National Gallery acquired the piece in 1826.The Madonna and Child With Saints has never been a highlight of the gallerys collection. However, according to the Guardian, the recent restoration has upped the paintings starpower: What seemed a mustard-yellow monstrosity has become sharper, brighter. As the Times writes, conservators revealed gorgeous details, such as a funny little cross held by John and streams of heavenly light illuminating the vegetationan abundance of greens.As Wivel says in the statement, I have little doubt that this show will be a transporting experience.Parmigianino: The Vision of Saint Jerome is on view at the National Gallery in London through March 9, 2025.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Art History, Artists, Arts, Christianity, England, Italy, London, Painters, Painting, Religion, Renaissance, Visual Arts