Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

CT Scans Reveal Gruesome Details of Inca Child Sacrifices

New research investigates the centuries-old remains of sacrificial victims recovered from volcanoes in Peru.

Hubble Zooms in on the Mysterious Egg Nebula, and It’s More Spectacular Than Ever

The stunning image captures a star's dying moments wrapped in dust, light, and a cosmic conundrum still waiting to be solved.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

Scientists Spot First Known Lava Tube on Venus

Until now, lava tubes on the second planet were purely theoretical.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

New Deep-Sea Mollusk Has an Iron Tongue and Hitchhiking Worms That Eat Its Poo

Meet Ferreiraella populi, a weird mollusk discovered in Japan. Keep reading to find out how Rihanna is involved.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Dueling AIs Reconstruct Rules of Mysterious Roman-Era Board Game

Seems like Europeans were playing blocking games centuries earlier than previously thought.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Researchers Asked Drivers to Interpret Cyclist Signals. It Didn’t Go Well

Participants in a recent study were asked to decode cyclists' hand signals. How well do you think you would've done?

Health Margherita Bassi

Science Discovers a New Destiny for Your Old Mattress

Figuring out what to do with an unwanted mattress is the worst.

Biology Margherita Bassi

A Giant, 10 Skulls, and Rope-Bound Corpses: This Viking-Era ‘Execution Pit’ Has Stories to Tell

Archaeologists and students in England have uncovered a mass grave, which includes the remains of an exceptionally tall man with a hole in his skull.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Experts Stuck 2 Mummies in a CT Scanner. Here’s What They Saw

This is probably not how the ancient Egyptian priests thought their afterlife would go.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Is Lead Exposure Really Declining? A Century of Hair Holds the Answer

Before the agency, lead levels were shockingly higher.

Health Margherita Bassi

This May Be the Oldest Known Victim of a Bear Attack—and It’s Brutal

At least they had a nice burial?

Human History Margherita Bassi

This Ancient River Seemed to Flow Uphill. Now We Know Why

The Green River may have had some help from a dripping crust.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi

143-Year-Old Shipwreck Emerges on a New Jersey Beach

The unfortunate ship, along with its cargo of oranges, sank in 1890 while en route to New York City.

Human History Margherita Bassi

This Spider’s ‘Pearl Necklace’ Looks Fancy—Until You Learn What It Really Is

Nature is awesome, but it can also be super gross.

Biology Margherita Bassi

NASA Has a New Estimate for Europa’s Ice Shell, and Whoa Is It Ever Thick

Jupiter's fourth-largest moon is a main character in our search for other life-friendly places in our solar system.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

1,000-Year-Old Bronze Cross Perfectly Matches Mold Found 40 Years Ago, Shocking Archaeologists

A volunteer in Germany may have linked a medieval wheel cross to a mold unearthed four decades ago.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Shell Fragment Found Fitted With Strange Tag Sparks Internet Mystery

A snorkeler in Australia found a shell tagged with a strangely specific number, kickstarting an online mystery about its origins.

Biology Margherita Bassi

How a Microbe Tunnels Its Way Through an Insect Gut—It’s Weirder Than You Think

Some microbes can squeeze through tight spaces by wrapping themselves in their flagellum—the tail-like structure they use to move. Also, how adorable are those little guys?

Biology Margherita Bassi

Nordic Equestrian Project Asks Horses if They Want Blankets or Not

Researchers have taught horses to communicate their preferences with symbols.

Biology Margherita Bassi

New Evidence Melts the Stonehenge Glacier Theory

It seems like glaciers weren't helpful in the construction of the famous prehistoric monument.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Margherita Bassi

CT Scans Reveal Gruesome Details of Inca Child Sacrifices

Hubble Zooms in on the Mysterious Egg Nebula, and It’s More Spectacular Than Ever

Scientists Spot First Known Lava Tube on Venus

New Deep-Sea Mollusk Has an Iron Tongue and Hitchhiking Worms That Eat Its Poo

Dueling AIs Reconstruct Rules of Mysterious Roman-Era Board Game

Researchers Asked Drivers to Interpret Cyclist Signals. It Didn’t Go Well

Science Discovers a New Destiny for Your Old Mattress

A Giant, 10 Skulls, and Rope-Bound Corpses: This Viking-Era ‘Execution Pit’ Has Stories to Tell

Experts Stuck 2 Mummies in a CT Scanner. Here’s What They Saw

Is Lead Exposure Really Declining? A Century of Hair Holds the Answer

This May Be the Oldest Known Victim of a Bear Attack—and It’s Brutal

This Ancient River Seemed to Flow Uphill. Now We Know Why

143-Year-Old Shipwreck Emerges on a New Jersey Beach

This Spider’s ‘Pearl Necklace’ Looks Fancy—Until You Learn What It Really Is

NASA Has a New Estimate for Europa’s Ice Shell, and Whoa Is It Ever Thick

1,000-Year-Old Bronze Cross Perfectly Matches Mold Found 40 Years Ago, Shocking Archaeologists

Shell Fragment Found Fitted With Strange Tag Sparks Internet Mystery

How a Microbe Tunnels Its Way Through an Insect Gut—It’s Weirder Than You Think

Nordic Equestrian Project Asks Horses if They Want Blankets or Not

New Evidence Melts the Stonehenge Glacier Theory

Apple Offers Rare Olive Branch to Liquid Glass Haters

Mamdani Lifts NYC TikTok Ban for City Employees, but with Some Unusual Restrictions

Tesla Goes Ahead and Admits Its Robotaxis Are Sometimes Fully Human-Controlled

School Forced to Replace Toilets After Kids Flush Vapes

‘Scream 7’ Just Won’t Stop Making Money as ‘Scream 8’ Gets Started

The Curtain Has Closed on Meta’s Movie Rating-Inspired Content Filters

Good News! You Can Finally Change That Ridiculous Gmail Address

ExpressVPN Just Launched ExpressAI: Your Prompts Are Now Invisible

VR Just Took Another Massive Body Blow

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset