Recent Articles

Amongst genetic engineering and de-extinction initiatives, Colossal Biosciences stands at the forefront. Recognized as one of the TIME100 most influential companies in 2023, it is a biotechnology company founded by entrepreneur Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church. Colossal focuses on using advanced genetic engineering techniques, notably CRISPR technology—a precise tool used by scientists to edit genes—to advance de-extinction efforts.

When you delve into news related to historic reconstructions, one name consistently emerges: Cícero Moraes. His remarkable talent has brought faces from the distant past back to life, including Mary Magdalene, Saint Anthony of Padua, the Woman of Pumapungo, and even the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

​​​​​​​You may be familiar with gazpacho, but ajoblanco is another, older, cold soup from Spain. As is the case with many traditional recipes, the exact origins of ajoblanco are hazy. Some say that Roman soldiers likely ate the first form of ajoblanco. At the very least, food historians know that ajoblanco was consumed during the time Spain was ruled by the Moors—between the eighth and 15th centuries.

The Pythagorean Cup (also known as the Pythagoras Cup) is one of Pythagoras’s lesser-known inventions. Depending on who you speak to, this rather plain looking cup was either meant to teach people a lesson in moderation or demonstrate the philosopher’s sense of humor.  

These days, town halls tend to equate unsanctioned graffiti with vandalism, identifying it as a costly “problem” or eyesore. All too often local administrations prioritize the quick removal of graffiti. But, as Dr. Richard Clay in the BBC FOUR documentary A Brief History of Graffiti: “Should we always succumb to the knee-jerk reaction of scrubbing it off?” While many believe graffiti to be a modern phenomenon, popularized in Philadelphia and New York in the 1960s, graffiti in different forms actually has a far longer history.

Ancient Origins Magazine had the pleasure of speaking with Jayshree Mungur-Medhi—an archaeologist and heritage expert on Mauritius who participated in the excavations at Mare aux Songes, where a cache of dodo bones and other fossils were uncovered—do discuss all things dodo.

Modern humans, Homo sapiens, are now the only surviving member of the Homo genus. It is almost inconceivable to us that we walked alongside other human species, but as the science of archaeology has progressed and more findings have been made it has become clear that the Homo genus was once rife with different species. 

Since the dawn of humanity, countless civilizations have engaged in ritual sacrifice.

Forensic scientists can look at a single hair or a tiny drop of blood and tell you things about it that would have seemed like magic to people in the ancient world. It's like they have a time machine, allowing them to look back at events that happened days, years, or even centuries ago, and piece together the story.

Interview excerpt