October 22, 2022

Scientific Facial Reconstruction Brings Three Medieval Scots Back to Life

History holds many surprises. Workers repairing a crumbling crypt in Scotland in 1957 learned this lesson the hard way when they stumbled upon three very old stone coffins. This grizzly discovery led to the uncovering of a medieval burial ground at Whithorn, the site of the oldest Christian community in the country. In recent years, a project called Cold Case Withorn has sought to bring the site to life using modern technology.

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October 21, 2022

450-Year-Old Painting Contains Over 100 Proverbs We Still Use Today

Birds of a feather flock together. When the cat's away, the mice will play. We all know and love these common, American proverbs. Sometimes ironic, often silly and amusing, these sayings test our brains—and our wit. And it's not just in English. Playing with language in literature, conversation, and art has been a hallmark of different cultures for centuries.

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October 21, 2022

Study Finds That Petting Dogs May Give Us the Same Brain Benefits as Socializing With Humans

We all love our animal friends, and there's nothing better than spending some downtime with a loyal canine companion. In fact, science now suggests that interaction with a pet is comparable to one with human friends. According to the new study, petting and stroking our furry friends may even give us the same benefits as socializing, and the evidence of it lies in our neurology.

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October 21, 2022

Purposely Blurry Oil Paintings Show How People With Impaired Vision See the World

South Africa-based artist Philip Barlow uses his paintings to showcase a unique view of the world. By translating figures and places into simplified shapes, he explores the relationship between color and form, as well as between people and their environment. The striking results of this approach have been compared to the bokeh effect in photography—a phenomenon in which subjects are condensed into blurs of light—and even to how people with impaired vision view the world.

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