Margherita Bassi, Author at Gizmodo

New Research Exposes the Good and the Gross in Pompeii’s Baths

Mount Vesuvius preserved the ancient city's water system, including evidence of filth.

Astronomers Discover Unusual Asteroid Spinning Faster Than Anything Its Size

Way out there in the asteroid belt is an object that's spinning so fast, scientists are surprised it hasn't flown apart.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Jan 8

Poison-Laced Arrows Date Back Tens of Thousands of Years Earlier Than Expected

The use of poisoned weapons 60,000 years ago would have required big brain power.

Human History Margherita Bassi Jan 7

Researchers Just Sampled 1.4-Billion-Year-Old Air—and It’s Not What They Expected

A "boring" time period may not have been so boring after all.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Jan 7

773,000-Year-Old Fossils Add a New Twist to Humanity’s Deep Origins

New research sheds light on the ancestors that gave rise to Neanderthals, Denisovans—and us.

Human History Margherita Bassi Jan 7

Tsunami Triggered by Giant Russian Quake Broke the Rules, Satellite Data Shows

The 2025 tsunami is shattering old models, thanks to observations from space.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Jan 6

Intermittent Fasting Isn’t Doing What You Think It’s Doing

Time-restricted eating without a change in how much you eat doesn't seem to do anything for your metabolic health.

Health Margherita Bassi Jan 6

This Pocket-Sized Lab Might Prevent You From Going Into Anaphylactic Shock

A person goes to the emergency room in the U.S. every 10 seconds over an allergic reaction to food. Could this gadget bring the numbers down?

Health Margherita Bassi Jan 5

How Are U.S. Dams Holding Up? New Satellite Data Warns of Trouble

There's never been a giant dam failure in the US modern era, and a team of researchers is looking to keep it that way.

Earther Margherita Bassi Dec 18 '25

Vesuvius Exploded in August—So Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Clothing?

Despite the fact that Mount Vesuvius triggered one of the most infamous ancient tragedies, not everyone agrees on exactly when it took place.

Human History Margherita Bassi Dec 17 '25

The Surprising Way Hurricanes Pump Carbon Into the Air—and Life Into the Ocean

New research shows that tropical cyclones leave behind more than death and destruction.

Earth Science Margherita Bassi Dec 17 '25

One of the Most Complete Human Ancestors Ever Found Isn’t Who We Thought It Was

New research challenges the previous identification of a famous fossil dubbed "Little Foot."

Human History Margherita Bassi Dec 16 '25

The U.S. Might Finally Approve a Sunscreen Ingredient the World’s Been Using for Decades

The FDA has proposed adding bemotrizinol to the list of approved active ingredients for sunscreens.

Health Margherita Bassi Dec 16 '25

Christianity May Have Brought Face Tattoos to Medieval Nubia

Researchers traced tattoos across hundreds of human remains from northeastern Africa.

Human History Margherita Bassi Dec 15 '25

New Clue Emerges From Botched Scandinavian Raid: A 2,300-Year-Old Fingerprint

In the fourth century BCE, mysterious raiders attacked a Danish island. Now we might finally know where they came from.

Human History Margherita Bassi Dec 15 '25

This Star Is Being Eaten Alive—and Its Explosive Death Will Be Visible in Broad Daylight

Researchers have figured out why V Sagittae is so gosh dang bright.

Space & Spaceflight Margherita Bassi Dec 14 '25

Sperm Donor With a Cancer-Causing Gene Fathered at Least 197 Kids

Because only part of the man's sperm carried the mutation, only the second round of genetic testing revealed the problem. By then, it was already too late.

Health Margherita Bassi Dec 10 '25

This 400,000-Year-Old Campfire Could Rewrite Human History

Humans likely harvested their first flames from wildfire. When they learned to make it themselves, it changed everything.

Human History Margherita Bassi Dec 10 '25

Garlic Mouth Wash? The Science Says Yes

Researchers reviewed existing evidence on whether mouthwash with garlic extract could be a viable alternative for the current golden standard.

Health Margherita Bassi Dec 9 '25

Ancient Construction Site at Pompeii Sheds Light on Rome’s Miraculous Self-Healing Cement

How often do you think of ancient Roman cement?

Human History Margherita Bassi Dec 9 '25

Margherita Bassi

New Research Exposes the Good and the Gross in Pompeii’s Baths

Astronomers Discover Unusual Asteroid Spinning Faster Than Anything Its Size

Poison-Laced Arrows Date Back Tens of Thousands of Years Earlier Than Expected

Researchers Just Sampled 1.4-Billion-Year-Old Air—and It’s Not What They Expected

773,000-Year-Old Fossils Add a New Twist to Humanity’s Deep Origins

Tsunami Triggered by Giant Russian Quake Broke the Rules, Satellite Data Shows

Intermittent Fasting Isn’t Doing What You Think It’s Doing

This Pocket-Sized Lab Might Prevent You From Going Into Anaphylactic Shock

How Are U.S. Dams Holding Up? New Satellite Data Warns of Trouble

Vesuvius Exploded in August—So Why Were Pompeii Victims Wearing Heavy Clothing?

The Surprising Way Hurricanes Pump Carbon Into the Air—and Life Into the Ocean

One of the Most Complete Human Ancestors Ever Found Isn’t Who We Thought It Was

The U.S. Might Finally Approve a Sunscreen Ingredient the World’s Been Using for Decades

Christianity May Have Brought Face Tattoos to Medieval Nubia

New Clue Emerges From Botched Scandinavian Raid: A 2,300-Year-Old Fingerprint

This Star Is Being Eaten Alive—and Its Explosive Death Will Be Visible in Broad Daylight

Sperm Donor With a Cancer-Causing Gene Fathered at Least 197 Kids

This 400,000-Year-Old Campfire Could Rewrite Human History

Garlic Mouth Wash? The Science Says Yes

Ancient Construction Site at Pompeii Sheds Light on Rome’s Miraculous Self-Healing Cement

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