Editor’s note: A version of the tale was seen in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.
When Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago, volcanic debris buried Pompeii and created a city trapped in time forever.
Researchers consider the doomed metropolis to be one of the world’s most touching archaeological sites.
Pompeii holds a multitude of finds that continue to surprise archaeologists as they uncover more of the lost city.
Intact items such as chariots, frescoes and even graffiti have given insight into what ancient Roman life was like in the prosperous resort before the cataclysmic event — and provided evidence of when the eruption occurred.
And now, researchers examining artifacts from the neighboring city of Herculaneum are using new technology to see under Vesuvius’ blanket of ash and mud to uncover more of history’s best-kept secrets.
Artificial intelligence has revealed the first nearly complete passages to be decoded from the charred, brittle Herculaneum scrolls.
The hundreds of burnt papyrus scrolls, which managed to survive Vesuvius’ eruption inside what experts believe was likely the house of Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, appear as though they could crumble at any moment.
But technological advances are making it possible to virtually unwrap the scrolls for the first time since AD 79, allowing papyrologists to translate the words of the philosopher Philodemus.
“It’s known as the most dangerous and terrifying part of the ocean.
The Drake Passage, spanning 600 miles (965 kilometers) wide, is squeezed between South America and Antarctica.
Landmasses help to slow storms that gather strength across oceans. But there is nothing to stop screaming winds, towering waves, and the world’s strongest storms that whip up in the deep waters of the Drake.
A serene image of a polar bear napping on an iceberg off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago has received the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.
“Australian scientists have discovered an unlikely ally in their quest to track endangered species: spiders.
When researchers collected spiderwebs from Western Australia’s Perth Zoo and the Karakamia woodland sanctuary, they were able to identify genetic material from 93 animals.
Meanwhile, a new finding could explain why insects cluster beneath bright artificial lights at night — and it’s not because they’re drawn to the glow like “moths to a flame.”
Mimas, one of Saturn’s tiniest moons, is known for a giant crater that gives the satellite an uncanny resemblance to the Death Star from the “Star Wars” films.
The study team was surprised to discover that the ocean is relatively young, astronomically speaking, at only 5 million to 15 million years old. Mimas could change the way scientists understand ocean worlds across our solar system, which may harbor life beyond Earth.
Share these fascinating reads with your friends.
— Archaeologists unearthed an ancient burial site, including a rare wooden bed used in a Roman funeral, during excavations in the heart of London.
— The PACE mission launched this week to study the “invisible universe” of Earth’s microscopic marine life and atmospheric particles from space.
— A “super-Earth”— plus evidence of a second Earth-size planet — has been spotted orbiting in the habitable zone of a star 137 light-years away.
— Researchers found a fresh clue that sheds light on how microscopic tardigrades, also called water bears, are able to survive in some of Earth’s most challenging environments.
— Curious about what April’s total solar eclipse will look like in your city? Check out our interactive map to see how much of the sun’s face will be blocked, based on your location.
