What an amazing finding! Amazing to think this is the first skeletal evidence of humans vs. animals: the #Roman venatio. But this was just one skeleton among more than *80*, all young, all perhaps gladiators. 🏺 (paywall-free link below)

Peat is a natural carbon store and a water store, it prevents flooding when well managed and not drained or dried - please sign this petition for a response from the Government who said in their manifesto they would protect peat petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

In my latest column for @theneweuropean.bsky.social I discuss why the "stranded astronauts on the ISS" episode was so unedifying in every way - except perhaps in highlighting the foolishness of putting oneself in hock to Musk.
www.theneweuropean.co.uk/philip-ball-...

This should be good. X inactivation is fascinating, and brought to light one of the first known long noncoding RNAs.
royalsociety.org/science-even...

UK contemporary sculptor known as Anna & the Willow creates nature-inspired sculptures made from rods of willow #womensart

Complaining the Babylonian way.

'...when commending Christianity to people, “make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is.” Such proofs as there are for Christianity can convince those who hope it is true, but will never convince those who don’t.' GrahamTomlin anglicanism.org/wp-content/u...

For conversations on poetry, psalms, God, art and beauty with poet and artist Roger Wagner, go to The Penultimate Image Podcast. Roger talks with Malcolm Guite, Sue Gillingham, Ian McGilchrist and others.
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

The mediaeval world loved their owls…

Understanding how the earth’s core works is important for understanding earth’s magnetic field. The inner core has been changing shape in the last 20 yrs. Additionally, changes have also been observed in the speed at which it rotates.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Excellent review of Peter Harrison's latest book, Some New World. Highly recommended. churchlifejournal.nd.edu/articles/a-c...

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder."
~ G.K. Chesterton

The Rainbow (1892)
🎨 Nikolay Dubovskoy

Fascinating article shedding light on some areas which I worked on in my former life as a molecular and cell biologist. Insights and connections I never would have imagined 20+ years ago!

Found an old travel diary from 1976 in which I had recorded on a night journey thru Andhra Pradesh, the sighting towards dawn of a comet. Fascinated, I googled it and discovered it was called Comet West, not due to visit us again for another 1/2 million years. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_W...

NEW: In a stunning find, researchers from Oxford University and @unibirmingham.bsky.social have uncovered a huge expanse of quarry floor filled with hundreds of different dinosaur footprints, creating multiple enormous trackways.

More info ⬇️
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-01...

NEW: Researchers have found that head injuries, such as those induced in sports and the military, may re-awaken dormant viruses in the brain - triggering the onset of conditions including Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.

Find out more ⬇️
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-01...

one of the best hubble images ever