What did ancient people eat? Scientists find new clues in old pottery
By Carolyn Wilke, Knowable Magazine
Cookware from thousands of years ago can still hold molecules from their ancient contents, and careful study can reveal what the people who used them ate and drank. Some people are harvesting the yeast to make beer or bread. This story details the many creative ways scientists are studying ancient pots, dishes, and even teeth to better understand what people ate throughout history.
These Dinosaurs Had a Complicated Air Conditioner in Their Skull
By Aaron Martin, Scientific American
Why did some dinosaurs have a corkscrew passage in their skull, the equivalent of a child's twisty straw? It turns out that these looping nasal passages worked to cool blood before it reached the brains of the group of dinosaurs known as ankylosaurs.
Predicting When the Next Bluff Will Fall
By Ramin Skibba, Hakai Magazine
Cliffs on the California seashore can be vulnerable to erosion and eventual collapse, which endangers the homes, rail lines and other structures near their edges. This story explains how researchers are use LIDAR to monitor cliffs and better understand which locations are the most affected by the dual threats of erosion and sea level rise.
