Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

This Clever Trick Could Help Us Spot Life on Mars

It's difficult to detect microscopic lifeforms, even with advanced techniques—now there might be a solution.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

Men Have Grown Taller and Bigger at Twice the Rate of Women as Countries Became Richer

The team behind a new study says the difference may be due to sexual selection.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Ice Age Kids Sported Cheek Piercings, 29,000-Year-Old Teeth Suggest

Strange wear marks on the teeth of Paleolithic people in Central Europe have long puzzled scientists, but new research may finally reveal the cause.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Footprints Reveal Ancient Escape From Vesuvius—1,800 Years Before Pompeii’s Destruction

The Bronze Age footprints stand as a dark omen of the Roman-era disaster—one that clearly went unnoticed through centuries of human activity.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Scientists Are Developing Brain Implants That Could Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatment

Brain implants, made from small clusters of brain cells, could help restore neural pathways damaged by Parkinson’s disease.

Health Margherita Bassi

How Webb Telescope’s ‘Little Red Dots’ Nearly Broke Cosmology—and Helped Fix It

Mysterious little red dots threatened to overhaul modern cosmology—but new research may have solved the celestial conundrum.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Smashes Spacewalking Record While ‘Stranded’ in Space

The record-breaking spacewalk set a new women's record for total spacewalking time and saw the astronauts finally remove faulty radio communications hardware, among other tasks.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

No Opioids, No Addiction: FDA Approves First New Type of Painkiller in Decades

Suzetrigine prevents pain signals from reaching the brain and doesn't give an opioid-like high, making it non-addictive—but it's expensive.

Health Margherita Bassi

Metal Detectorist Unearths Miniature 1,600-Year-Old Roman Lock

Despite its diminutive size, the artifact once featured a working lock mechanism.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Humans Lost the Ability to Swivel Their Ears—But These Vestigial Muscles Still Twitch

Evolution has largely deprived us of our ability to swivel our ears, but those vestigial muscles still activate when we listen intently, according to new research.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Should You Scratch That Itch? Science Has a Surprising Answer

While scratching worsens inflammations, it also protects us from some infections, as new research suggests.

Health Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists Use Toilet to Track Down Manor Depicted in Famous Medieval Tapestry

One of King Harold's manors appears twice in the famous Bayeux Tapestry, but only 948 years later have researchers finally identified the building's remains.

Human History Margherita Bassi

1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Reveals Gripping Case About Roman Tax Fraud and Forgery

A newly-studied ancient papyrus is so detailed it could be an episode of Law & Order, Roman style.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Mask Mould Believed to Depict Medusa

The artifact emerged from the ruins of an ancient Roman building-turned-workshop in Sicily from the second or first century BCE.

Human History Margherita Bassi

Aerospace Engineer Lives Underwater for 120 Days, Setting New World Record

Rudiger Koch spent around four months in a 322.9-square-foot capsule 36 feet below the surface of the water.

Biology Margherita Bassi

Scientists Strapped QR Codes Onto Thousands of Bees to Learn How Far They Actually Fly

Researchers put a sensor at the entrance of beehives to register each time the pollinators entered or exited, and how long they were gone.

Biology Margherita Bassi

New Evidence Bolsters Theory of Megaflood That Refilled the Mediterranean Millions of Years Ago

Researchers identified geological features that point to a single massive flooding event that refilled the Mediterranean Sea 5.33 million years ago

Earth Science Margherita Bassi

Archaeologists Uncover Unusually Large Chunk of Rare ‘Egyptian Blue’ in Nero’s Palace

The discovery of this ancient synthetic pigment highlights the impressive artistry of Rome’s imperial era.

Human History Margherita Bassi

The World’s Biggest Iceberg Is Threatening a Wildlife Haven

If the giant A23a grounds near South Georgia, it could endanger the island's penguins and seals.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi

Mysterious Radio Bursts Traced to the Edge of an Ancient, Dying Galaxy

The energy flare came from an old galaxy, upending prevailing theories about the source of fast radio bursts.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi

Margherita Bassi

This Clever Trick Could Help Us Spot Life on Mars

Men Have Grown Taller and Bigger at Twice the Rate of Women as Countries Became Richer

Ice Age Kids Sported Cheek Piercings, 29,000-Year-Old Teeth Suggest

Footprints Reveal Ancient Escape From Vesuvius—1,800 Years Before Pompeii’s Destruction

Scientists Are Developing Brain Implants That Could Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatment

How Webb Telescope’s ‘Little Red Dots’ Nearly Broke Cosmology—and Helped Fix It

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams Smashes Spacewalking Record While ‘Stranded’ in Space

No Opioids, No Addiction: FDA Approves First New Type of Painkiller in Decades

Metal Detectorist Unearths Miniature 1,600-Year-Old Roman Lock

Humans Lost the Ability to Swivel Their Ears—But These Vestigial Muscles Still Twitch

Should You Scratch That Itch? Science Has a Surprising Answer

Archaeologists Use Toilet to Track Down Manor Depicted in Famous Medieval Tapestry

1,900-Year-Old Papyrus Reveals Gripping Case About Roman Tax Fraud and Forgery

Archaeologists Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Mask Mould Believed to Depict Medusa

Aerospace Engineer Lives Underwater for 120 Days, Setting New World Record

Scientists Strapped QR Codes Onto Thousands of Bees to Learn How Far They Actually Fly

New Evidence Bolsters Theory of Megaflood That Refilled the Mediterranean Millions of Years Ago

Archaeologists Uncover Unusually Large Chunk of Rare ‘Egyptian Blue’ in Nero’s Palace

The World’s Biggest Iceberg Is Threatening a Wildlife Haven

Mysterious Radio Bursts Traced to the Edge of an Ancient, Dying Galaxy

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

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

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

Judge Denies Liking LinkedIn Post Critical of Elon Musk But Reassigns His Cases Anyway

Amazon Slashes 50% Off Keurig K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Now a Budget Alternative to Breville and Nespresso Espresso Machines

Sun’s Latest Outburst Complicates Planned Launch of Artemis 2

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