Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

Why the Shortest Day of Your Life Could Happen This Summer

This year's shortest day—Earth's fastest single rotation—will likely fall on July 9, July 22, or August 5.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

How Prehistoric Mammoth Tusks Could Help Bust Modern-Day Ivory Smugglers

A new forensic test could help identify poached elephant ivory being disguised and smuggled as legal mammoth tusks.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Why Ancient Egypt Smashed Hatshepsut’s Statues After Her Death

Scholars have long believed that Hatshepsut’s spiteful successor wanted to destroy every image of her, but the truth may be more nuanced.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Frequent Nightmares Linked to Faster Aging and Premature Death

Adults who reported weekly nightmares were more than three times as likely to die before the age of 70.

Health Margherita Bassi

New Study Backs Controversial Claim of 23,000-Year-Old Human Footprints in New Mexico

New research suggests the first Americans weren't who we thought they were.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists Unearth Viking-Era Burial With Incredibly Rare Casket

The 30 Viking graves range from richly furnished to bare-bones, hinting at a burial ground for both nobles and the people they enslaved.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Bogong Moth, Agrotis Infusa. Mt Ginini, Act

Bogong Moths Are First Bugs Known to Use Stars for Long-Distance Travel

Scientists found that an Australian moth navigates using a celestial compass, possibly guided by the Milky Way itself.

Biology Margherita Bassi

The Night Shift Might Be Harming Women More Than We Thought, Study Finds

A new study reveals that a woman's chances of getting asthma are significantly impacted by their work shift schedule—a difference that researchers didn't notice in men.

Health Margherita Bassi

Astronomers Just Solved the Mystery of the Universe’s Missing Matter

A new study reveals that 76% of all ordinary matter exists in the form of hot intergalactic gas.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

Metal Detectorist Discovers Rare Boat Grave Containing Viking Woman and Her Dog

The cherished pet continues to guard her in the afterlife as it likely did when they were both alive.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Neanderthals Spread Across Asia With Surprising Speed—and Now We Know How

A new study suggests our prehistoric cousins likely traveled through the Ural Mountains and southern Siberia.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Scientists Just Solved a 14,000-Year-Old Puppy Mystery

New research challenges previous theories suggesting the two young canines were domesticated dogs and reveals their surprising last meal.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Why Bats Don’t Get Cancer—and What That Means for Humans

Some bat species can live cancer-free for up to 25 years, which is equivalent to 180 human years. How do they do it?

Biology Margherita Bassi

300-Year-Old Coins Help Confirm Shipwreck as the Long-Lost San José Galleon

The Spanish galleon sank in 1708 and was discovered in 2015, but its true identity remained unconfirmed—until now.

Human History Margherita Bassi

What Whale Bubbles Can Teach Us About Alien Communication

A new study analyzes 12 events in which whales may have tried to communicate with humans.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists in France Discover Giant Roman Gallic Villa Hiding in Plain Sight

A recent excavation reveals that a large building excavated in 1966 was just a part of an even grander ancient complex.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Cool Physics Feat Makes a Sphere Roll Down a Vertical Wall

Scientists have discovered that under the right conditions, a gummy bear-like ball can roll down a vertical wall all by itself—upending a core assumption in physics.

Physics & Chemistry Margherita Bassi

Astronomers Discover Most Energetic Cosmic Explosions Ever Observed

Extreme nuclear transients are 10 million times rarer than supernovae and emit the same amount of energy as 100 Suns.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

Things Humans Still Do Better Than AI: Understanding Flowers

Unlike humans, large language models can't learn via physical senses such as sight, smell, and touch (yet).

Artificial Intelligence Margherita Bassi

Early Fire Use Wasn’t for Cooking, New Theory Suggests

The discovery of fire was one of the most fundamental advancements of human development, but researchers can't agree on why it came about.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Margherita Bassi

Why the Shortest Day of Your Life Could Happen This Summer

How Prehistoric Mammoth Tusks Could Help Bust Modern-Day Ivory Smugglers

Why Ancient Egypt Smashed Hatshepsut’s Statues After Her Death

Frequent Nightmares Linked to Faster Aging and Premature Death

New Study Backs Controversial Claim of 23,000-Year-Old Human Footprints in New Mexico

Archaeologists Unearth Viking-Era Burial With Incredibly Rare Casket

Bogong Moths Are First Bugs Known to Use Stars for Long-Distance Travel

The Night Shift Might Be Harming Women More Than We Thought, Study Finds

Astronomers Just Solved the Mystery of the Universe’s Missing Matter

Metal Detectorist Discovers Rare Boat Grave Containing Viking Woman and Her Dog

Neanderthals Spread Across Asia With Surprising Speed—and Now We Know How

Scientists Just Solved a 14,000-Year-Old Puppy Mystery

Why Bats Don’t Get Cancer—and What That Means for Humans

300-Year-Old Coins Help Confirm Shipwreck as the Long-Lost San José Galleon

What Whale Bubbles Can Teach Us About Alien Communication

Archaeologists in France Discover Giant Roman Gallic Villa Hiding in Plain Sight

Cool Physics Feat Makes a Sphere Roll Down a Vertical Wall

Astronomers Discover Most Energetic Cosmic Explosions Ever Observed

Things Humans Still Do Better Than AI: Understanding Flowers

Early Fire Use Wasn’t for Cooking, New Theory Suggests

A QR Code Too Small to See Hints at a New, Non-Annoying Use for the Format

Andy Weir Apologizes After ‘Star Trek’ Comment Backlash

Scientists Discover Hidden Behavior in Water That Helps Explain Why Ice Floats

The ‘Paradise’ Season 2 Finale Paved the Way for a Wildly Sci-Fi Season 3

A $1 Samsung Galaxy Smartphone Lands at Mint Mobile With Unlimited Data at 50% Off in a Clearance Push

Your Wimpy Workouts Aren’t Cutting It, Scientists Say

Anker Prime Power Bank Drops to an All-Time Low (200W, 20,100mAh, 3-Port) as Amazon Clears Out Remaining Spring Sale Stock

Students Are Now Renting Smart Glasses to Cheat on Exams

Roborock F25 GT Cordless Vacuum and Mop Hits Its Lowest Price in Spring Sale, 20,000Pa Cleaning Power Without the Premium Price Tag

New Details Add a Bizarre Twist to NASA’s First ISS Medical Evacuation

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

Nintendo’s Talking Flower Is Annoying as Hell. I Love It

Level Lock Pro Review: As Good as a Secret Smart Lock Gets