WEIRD HISTORY
An artist’s impression of the Earth around 2.7 billion years ago in the Archean Eon. With green iron-rich seas, an orange methane-rich atmosphere and a surface dominated by oceans, the Archean Earth would have been a very different place. (Illustration by Andrey Atuchin), …
Robert Downey Sr put his son in wild underground movies and gave him access to drugs. So what happened when Downey Jr finally turned the cameras on his dad? Like father, like son … the Robert Downeys Jr and Sr. – Photograph: Netflix …
Millions have watched Netflix’s hit Ancient Apocalypse, which is just the latest interpretation of an enduring tale. But in its appeal to ‘race science’ it’s more than merely controversial. How Atlantis has been portrayed in popular culture. Photograph: Fernando Gregory/Alamy – Robin McKie …
Wilma Mankiller served in the top leadership role of the Cherokee Nation from 1985 to 1995. Peter Turnley/Corbis Historical via Getty Images – By Julie Reed, Associate Professor in History, Penn State Published: 2022 Nov 23 – If you fish in your pocket …
This gold coin, bearing the name and face of “Sponsian,” was long considered fake but has now been authenticated. The Hunterian, University of Glasgow – By Michael Irving 2022 Nov 24 – History is full of artifacts that later turn out to be fakes, …
Cutting open bears, wrangling cows: retracing her voyage across the Rocky Mountains made me realize how extraordinary this woman was. ‘She was always looking forward’: Isabella Bird. Photograph: Royal Geographical Society/Getty Images – By Ruby Wax Last modified on 2022 Nov 23 – …
A cast of Dickinsonia, an animal that lived during the Ediacaran period. Verisimilus/CC BY-SA 3.0 – By Michael Irving 2022 Nov 22 – Scientists believe that the Earth is currently in the midst of its sixth major extinction event, but a new study suggests …
An artist’s impression of Leviathanochelys aenigmatica, a giant species of turtle that’s recently been discovered. ICRA_Arts – By Michael Irving 2022 Nov 17 – Paleontologists have discovered the fossil remains of one of the largest turtles that ever lived. Measuring about the size of …
Rock that crashed into family’s driveway provides compelling evidence water arrived on asteroids. Most of the Winchcombe meteorite was recovered just hours after its spectacular fireball lit up the skies over the UK in February 2021 during lockdown. Photograph: Trustees of the Natural …
The Vascones, an iron age tribe from whose language modern Basque is thought to descend, previously viewed as largely illiterate. The Hand of Irulegi was discovered last year near Pamplona. Photograph: Navarra government/AFP/Getty – Sam Jones in Madrid @swajones Last modified on 2022 …
