On Tuesday, Italy officially welcomed 600 antiquities from the United States, worth a collective $65 million, that were looted years ago and scattered in the holdings of museums, galleries, and collectors. The trove includes ancient gold coins, mosaics, manuscripts, and bronze statues, all of which were recovered during an extensive criminal investigation. The items were...
A new study by researchers from Arizona State University and their colleagues highlights a dietary strategy for significant health improvement and weight management. Participants following an intermittent fasting and protein-pacing regimen, which involves evenly spaced protein intake throughout the day, saw better gut health, weight loss and metabolic responses. These benefits were notably greater than...
Wifi-enabled washing machines. Voice-controlled microwaves. App-enabled TVs, vacuum cleaners, and even window blinds you can control from the comfort of your couch. Many of the technological features now included in everyday products are useful and accessible. But research has shown that having too many can overwhelm potential buyers, making them less likely to make a purchase. In...
Using ancient DNA extracted from the toe bone of a museum specimen, Harvard biologists have sequenced the genome of an extinct, flightless bird called the little bush moa, shedding light into an unknown corner of avian genetic history. Published in Science Advances, the work is the first complete genetic map of the turkey-sized bird whose distant living cousins...
When a wild orangutan in Sumatra recently suffered a facial wound, apparently after fighting with another male, he did something that caught the attention of the scientists observing him. The animal chewed the leaves of a liana vine – a plant not normally eaten by apes. Over several days, the orangutan carefully applied the juice...
The Knights Templar, a legendary monastic military order forged in the fires of the Crusades, continue to enthrall 21st-century audiences. From the time of their founding in 1119 C.E. to their dissolution in 1312 C.E., the Templars’ mission was to defend Christian kingdoms in the Holy Land against the various Muslim powers that sought to...
A group of workers at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle led a walkout last week, accusing a current exhibition at the institution of falsely comparing antisemitism to anti-Zionism. On social media, the workers, posting as a collective entity under a Palestine-themed account, said the show exemplified the “significant negative impact that platforming Zionist ideology has on...
The FBI is investigating the sale of hundreds of items on eBay suspected to be stolen and missing artifacts from the British Museum, according to a new report published by BBC News. The law enforcement agency assisted the Metropolitan Police with the recent return of 268 items from a collector in Washington, D.C. The FBI also contacted a buyer in...
Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy released an advisory that described loneliness and isolation as a national epidemic, with health consequences that rival those associated with cigarette smoking and obesity. To help address this pervasive isolation, Murthy’s office challenged Americans to find and act on ways to strengthen their social connections. New research by Amit Kumar, assistant professor...
Daniel Thompson, UCLA assistant professor of political science, co-authored a study that found private funding did not substantially affect the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. This private funding involved more than $400 million from Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, to cover COVID-related polling site accommodations. Twenty-eight states have banned private funding for...
