Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

The ‘Hail Mary’ That Saved NASA’s Juno Camera From Jupiter’s Radiation Hell

Mission scientists "waited with bated breath" to see if their last-minute operation to save a spacecraft's camera hundreds of millions of miles away had worked.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Jul 22 '25

Myanmar’s Devastating Earthquake in March Split the Earth at ‘Supershear Velocity’

The southern part of the earthquake’s rupture moved at speeds of over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) per second.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Jul 21 '25

Archaeologists Discover Tomb of Maya King Who Founded a 460-Year Dynasty

Three burials are challenging a widespread notion about the interactions between Mesoamerican cultures.

Human History Margherita Bassi Jul 19 '25

Android Phones Can Detect Earthquakes Before the Ground Starts Shaking

The Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA) system proved to be as efficient as traditional seismic networks.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Jul 17 '25

A Meteor Impact May Have Caused a Giant Landslide in the Grand Canyon

A new study suggests ancient wood floated into a cave far above the Colorado River when a meteorite-induced earthquake triggered a landslide, a dam, and an ancient lake.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Jul 17 '25

Researchers Solve 130-Year-Old Literary Mystery Involving Elves, Wolves, and a Medieval Meme

Scholars may have been misreading verses from a 12th-century sermon for over a century.

Human History Margherita Bassi Jul 16 '25

There’s a Strange New Hole in Yellowstone National Park

In April, geologists performing maintenance work at Norris Geyser Basin found something unexpected.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Jul 15 '25

Dozens of ‘Ghost Galaxies’ Are Orbiting the Milky Way, Astronomers Suspect

Researchers may have found our galaxy's missing companions, further bolstering science's most widely accepted cosmological model.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Jul 14 '25

Ancient DNA Unlocks the Secret Recipe of Roman Fish Sauce

Roman salting plants processed fish so thoroughly that researchers struggle to identify the species once used in ancient condiments.

Human History Margherita Bassi Jul 1 '25

Notorious Fungus Blamed for ‘Mummy’s Curse’ Is Now a Promising Cancer Treatment

A dreaded fungus known to inhabit tombs has been reconstituted as a treatment for leukemia and is performing as effectively as some FDA-approved drugs.

Health Margherita Bassi Jun 29 '25

Ancient Rocks in Canada Are Almost as Old as the Earth Itself

Rocks older than 4.03 billion years could shed light on Earth's earliest geological history, but they're incredibly rare.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Jun 26 '25

Researchers Pit Stone Age Seafaring Skills Against One of Earth’s Fiercest Currents

In a new study, researchers reenacted how people in Taiwan might have reached the Ryukyu Islands tens of thousands of years ago.

Human History Margherita Bassi Jun 25 '25

Good News! Caffeine Might Help Your Cells Live Longer

As if we needed another reason to drink coffee or tea.

Health Margherita Bassi Jun 25 '25

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 Jun 24 '25

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 Jun 24 '25

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 Jun 23 '25

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 Jun 23 '25

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 Jun 20 '25

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 Jun 19 '25

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 Jun 18 '25

Margherita Bassi

The ‘Hail Mary’ That Saved NASA’s Juno Camera From Jupiter’s Radiation Hell

Myanmar’s Devastating Earthquake in March Split the Earth at ‘Supershear Velocity’

Archaeologists Discover Tomb of Maya King Who Founded a 460-Year Dynasty

Android Phones Can Detect Earthquakes Before the Ground Starts Shaking

A Meteor Impact May Have Caused a Giant Landslide in the Grand Canyon

Researchers Solve 130-Year-Old Literary Mystery Involving Elves, Wolves, and a Medieval Meme

There’s a Strange New Hole in Yellowstone National Park

Dozens of ‘Ghost Galaxies’ Are Orbiting the Milky Way, Astronomers Suspect

Ancient DNA Unlocks the Secret Recipe of Roman Fish Sauce

Notorious Fungus Blamed for ‘Mummy’s Curse’ Is Now a Promising Cancer Treatment

Ancient Rocks in Canada Are Almost as Old as the Earth Itself

Researchers Pit Stone Age Seafaring Skills Against One of Earth’s Fiercest Currents

Good News! Caffeine Might Help Your Cells Live Longer

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

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Claims Strikes on Russian Data Centers Silenced Social Media Bots

Mark Zuckerberg: Meta Is on the Frontier Now

Hackers Overheat Fridges at Supermarkets Across France, Wasting Food and Starting Fires

Solar Orbiter Traces the Origin of a Mysterious S-Shaped Kink on the Sun

Astronomers Spot Possible Signs of Antimatter Disappearing Beyond Our Galaxy

How to Remove Your Personal Information From the Internet?

Anthropic’s AI Submitted a Fake Tip in an Unsolved Murder Case

Based AI People Are Supposedly Smoking Because AI Will Cure Cancer

The Voice of Daredevil Becomes Him in Self-Made Fan Film

Samsung B-Series Soundbar Goes From Prime Day Deal to Clearance Steal, Now Under $100 on Amazon

Eufy Omni E35 Review: Finally, a Luxury Robovac That Doesn’t Piss Me Off

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) Review: The King of Clip-Ons Is Re-Crowned

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) Review: Technically an Upgrade

Lenovo Legion 5i (2026) Review: A Gaming Laptop That Epitomizes the PC Pricing Paradox

TP-Link Tapo Doorbell Pro D260 Review: Everything You Need at No Extra Cost

Sonos Beam Ultra Review: The Soundbar You Really Want

Nothing Headphone 1 Pro Review: Honest-to-God S-Tier Headphones

The Best Gadgets of September 2026

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: A Bad GoPro and a Worse Camera

Apple Watch Ultra 4 Review: Still the Best Health Buddy for Your Wrist