science-and-culture4.225 min read
MacArthur Foundation Awards 2025 'Genius' Grants to 22 Innovators
3 months ago•Source: PBS
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6.38 min•3 months ago
2025 MacArthur Fellows: Celebrating Innovation and Insight
The 2025 MacArthur Fellows, a prestigious group of 22 individuals recognized for their creativity and impact across various fields such as science, arts, social justice, and more, were announced, each receiving an $800,000 no-strings-attached award. The recipients include scientists, artists, writers, and community organizers, exemplifying innovation, risk-taking, and perseverance.
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"Royal Reunion: T-Rex King and Queen Unveiled at New Zealand Museum"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Daily Mail
The Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand is hosting a world-first exhibition featuring the skeletons of a male and female T-Rex named Barbara and Peter. Barbara is one of only three pregnant T-Rex specimens ever found, while Peter is one of only four black T-Rexes discovered. The exhibition, which has already attracted 1.6 million visitors, will end on December 10th. The specimens offer a rare opportunity to study and compare male and female T-Rexes, shedding light on their differences and behaviors.
"Ancient Astronomers: Unveiling America's Sky Watchers"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by BBC.com
Indigenous people across North, Central, and South America have long held a deep connection to solar eclipses, viewing them as sacred and significant events. Traditional academic science often overlooks this perspective, but some astronomers are now incorporating Indigenous knowledge into their teachings. Experiencing a solar eclipse with an Indigenous guide can be transformative, allowing visitors to reconnect with the sky and gain a new perspective on life. Indigenous-led sky watching experiences blend ancient knowledge with modern tools, reshaping both science and Indigenous-led tourism. The upcoming solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, presents an opportunity to learn about the eclipse through both Western science and Indigenous stories and ceremonies.
Rare Fossilized Predators Up for Auction at Sotheby's
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Associated Press
Sotheby's is set to auction the fossilized skeletons of a Pteranodon and a Plesiosaur, two prehistoric predators, in New York. The Pteranodon, with a 20-foot wingspan, is expected to fetch upwards of $6 million, while the 11-foot-long Plesiosaur, believed to have lived about 190 million years ago, is estimated to sell for $600,000 to $800,000. These fossils are rare and well-preserved specimens, attracting comparisons to the Loch Ness monster. Sotheby's has not disclosed the identity of the seller.
The Cultural Significance of Body-Based Measurements.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Phys.org
Researchers at the University of Helsinki analyzed body-based measurement systems across cultures using data from the Human Relations Area Files database and found that body-based measurements are used by all cultures, though it is used more often in some areas of interest than others. The most well-known body measures—cubits, spans and fathoms—were also the most common. The team concludes by suggesting that body-based measurements are most commonly still used today in projects that involve ergonomic design, which makes them more personalized.
T-Rex Skeleton Sells for Record-Breaking $6 Million at Auction.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Guardian
A composite T-Rex skeleton called Trinity, made up of bones from three different T-Rexes, has sold for $6.1m to a private European collector of modern art and dinosaur relics at an auction in Switzerland. The skeleton, estimated to be 65m to 67m years old, had been expected to fetch a higher price. The skeleton measures 3.9 metres high, 11.6 metres long and 2.65 metres wide. More than half the skeleton’s bones are original with the rest made from plaster and epoxy resin casts.
Rare T. rex skeleton up for auction in Switzerland, expected to fetch millions
Originally Published 2 years ago — by NPR
A composite T. rex skeleton named "Trinity" made up of 293 bones, including a rare and well-preserved skull, is expected to fetch between $5.6-$8.9 million at an auction in Zurich. The restored fossil, drawn from three sites in Montana and Wyoming, is made up of more than half original bone material. T. rex roamed the Earth between 65 and 67 million years ago, and this sale marks only the third time such a T. rex skeleton has gone up for auction.
"Massive Titanosaur Unveiled in European Museum Debut"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
The Natural History Museum in London is displaying the skeleton of Patagotitan mayorum, a dinosaur giant from Argentina, for the first time in Europe. The cast of the skeleton, which is over five meters tall and weighs over two and a half metric tons, is accompanied by real fossils, including a 2.4-meter-long femur. The dinosaur, which could have weighed as much as 57 metric tons and stretched over 120 feet, lived on Earth around 100 million years ago. The exhibition was disrupted by the Covid pandemic and is now open to the public.
Texas Scientists Name Ancient Beaver Fossil After Buc-ee's Gas Station
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Jalopnik
Scientists at University of Texas’s Jackson School Museum of Earth History have named a beaver fossil, discovered in a filing cabinet, Anchitheriomys buceei after Texas-based gas station chain Buc-ee's. The fossil was first discovered in 1941 by a team of Texas A&M University paleontologists, and was forgotten amid the rest of A&M’s vast paleontological collection, including after it was moved to the University of Texas in the 1980s.
Uncovering Beethoven's Secrets Through DNA Analysis of His Hair
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Fox News
A genetic study conducted on locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair revealed more details about the composer's death at a relatively young age in March 1827. The study found that Beethoven had a genetic predisposition for liver disease and a hepatitis B infection during the months prior to his death. The composer's heavy alcohol consumption presented "plausible explanations" for his severe liver disease. The study also revealed an extrapair paternity event in his paternal line between the conception of Hendrik van Beethoven in Kampenhout, Belgium in c.1572 and the conception of Ludwig van Beethoven seven generations later in 1770, in Bonn, Germany. The study debunked a forensic investigation completed in 2007 that suggested lead poisoning could have sped up his death.
Unlocking Beethoven's Family Secrets Through DNA Analysis of His Hair
Originally Published 2 years ago — by ScienceAlert
Researchers have genetically analyzed the DNA in authenticated samples of Beethoven's hair to shed light on his health problems, including progressive hearing loss and gastrointestinal issues. The primary cause of his hearing loss has never been known, but the study reveals that his death was probably the result of a hepatitis B infection, exacerbated by his drinking and numerous risk factors for liver disease. The study also suggests an extrapair paternity event in Beethoven's paternal line between the conception of Hendrik van Beethoven in Kampenhout, Belgium in c.1572 and the conception of Ludwig van Beethoven seven generations later in 1770, in Bonn, Germany.