Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

Water on Mars? Mysterious Dark Streaks Aren’t What Scientists Thought

Scientists have been arguing about the origin of strange streaks on Mars since the earliest missions to the Red Planet.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi May 25 '25

An Archaeologist Sailed the Seas Using Only Viking Tech. Here’s What He Learned

To trace forgotten Viking trade routes, an experimental archaeologist spent three years braving frozen Norwegian waters.

Human History Margherita Bassi May 25 '25

Researchers Claim Ancient Chinese Star Catalog Is the Oldest of Its Kind—But Not Everyone’s Convinced

Shi’s Star Catalog has been notoriously difficult to date, but new research suggests astronomers drafted it centuries before its Western counterpart.

Human History Margherita Bassi May 24 '25

NASA Satellites Capture ‘River Tsunamis’ Surging Hundreds of Miles Inland

"We’ve never seen them like we are now.”

Earth Science Margherita Bassi May 22 '25

U.S. Family Infected With Airborne Fungal Disease After Touring Bat-Filled Caves

For fans of The Last of Us season 2, this real-life fungal outbreak might feel uncomfortably familiar.

Health Margherita Bassi May 21 '25

Monitoring Tree Leaves From Space Could Help Predict Volcanic Eruptions

Carbon dioxide emissions from rising magma is one of the earliest signs that a volcano is waking up, but measuring it directly is notoriously difficult.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi May 21 '25

Kids Around the World Are Still Swallowing Magnets at an Alarming Rate

"If magnets are accessible to children, some children will inevitably ingest them, leading to a wide range of severe consequences."

Health Margherita Bassi May 20 '25

Video Shows Orcas Left Behind in Algae-Filled Tanks Months After French Park Shut Down

Animal welfare organization TideBreakers is calling for international action, warning that a killer whale mother and her calf could be euthanized.

Biology Margherita Bassi May 20 '25

This Is What Your Brain Looks Like When You Solve a Problem

A new study reveals that you're more likely to remember solutions from aha moments than ones you reach intentionally.

Biology Margherita Bassi May 18 '25

Your Pruney Fingers After After a Bath Always Wrinkle the Same Way, Study Reveals

“A student asked, ‘Yeah, but do the wrinkles always form in the same way?’ And I thought: I haven’t the foggiest clue!”

Biology Margherita Bassi May 17 '25

Scientists Blasted Human Cells With 5G to See What Would Happen

To settle lingering health fears, scientists blasted human skin cells with intense 5G signals to see if the radiation does any damage.

Health Margherita Bassi May 15 '25

Shocking Video Shows Earth Tearing Open During Myanmar’s Earthquake in March

A potentially first-of-its-kind video filmed on a solar farm captures the strike-slip motion of the recent 7.7 magnitude earthquake.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi May 14 '25

Physicists Turned Lead Into Gold—for a Fraction of a Second

Instead of using the Large Hadron Collider to smash atoms together, researchers briefly turned lead into gold by facilitating near-misses.

Physics & Chemistry Margherita Bassi May 14 '25

ChatGPT vs. Nazi Encryption: Why Enigma Wouldn’t Stand a Chance Today

We asked ChatGPT directly.

Human History Margherita Bassi May 13 '25

How Fast Is Too Fast to See? Study Reveals Your Visual Speed Limit

Researchers suggest that people with faster eye movement can see objects in motion that are invisible to others.

Biology Margherita Bassi May 12 '25

All 28 of the U.S.’s Largest Cities Are Sinking, Study Finds

A new study reveals that uneven land subsidence could impact 29,000 buildings across the America's most populated metropolises.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi May 9 '25

Pompeii Family Blocked Bedroom Door With Bed to Escape Eruption, New Findings Reveal

Almost 2,000 years after Mount Vesuvius exploded, scholars continue to uncover extraordinary archaeological remains immortalized in ash and pumice.

Human History Margherita Bassi May 8 '25

First Fatal Bear Attack in Florida’s Recorded History Leaves Man and Dog Dead

On Monday morning, a woman called 911 after witnessing a bear attack and kill her father's dog—when authorities arrived, they also found the man's body.

Biology Margherita Bassi May 7 '25

‘It Was Like an Oven’: Some Bus Shelters Actually Make Heat Even Worse, Study Finds

A new study analyzed four bus shelter designs during a Houston summer, and highlights that one of them, in certain conditions, makes the heat worse.

Health Margherita Bassi May 5 '25

What You Learned About Cell Division Is Probably Wrong

A new study challenges a widely-held and widely-taught notion about mitosis.

Biology Margherita Bassi May 4 '25

Margherita Bassi

Water on Mars? Mysterious Dark Streaks Aren’t What Scientists Thought

An Archaeologist Sailed the Seas Using Only Viking Tech. Here’s What He Learned

Researchers Claim Ancient Chinese Star Catalog Is the Oldest of Its Kind—But Not Everyone’s Convinced

NASA Satellites Capture ‘River Tsunamis’ Surging Hundreds of Miles Inland

U.S. Family Infected With Airborne Fungal Disease After Touring Bat-Filled Caves

Monitoring Tree Leaves From Space Could Help Predict Volcanic Eruptions

Kids Around the World Are Still Swallowing Magnets at an Alarming Rate

Video Shows Orcas Left Behind in Algae-Filled Tanks Months After French Park Shut Down

This Is What Your Brain Looks Like When You Solve a Problem

Your Pruney Fingers After After a Bath Always Wrinkle the Same Way, Study Reveals

Scientists Blasted Human Cells With 5G to See What Would Happen

Shocking Video Shows Earth Tearing Open During Myanmar’s Earthquake in March

Physicists Turned Lead Into Gold—for a Fraction of a Second

ChatGPT vs. Nazi Encryption: Why Enigma Wouldn’t Stand a Chance Today

How Fast Is Too Fast to See? Study Reveals Your Visual Speed Limit

All 28 of the U.S.’s Largest Cities Are Sinking, Study Finds

Pompeii Family Blocked Bedroom Door With Bed to Escape Eruption, New Findings Reveal

First Fatal Bear Attack in Florida’s Recorded History Leaves Man and Dog Dead

‘It Was Like an Oven’: Some Bus Shelters Actually Make Heat Even Worse, Study Finds

What You Learned About Cell Division Is Probably Wrong

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