These Geometric Shapes Were Made By a Previously Unknown Civilization

Five new ancient genomes tell us about Neanderthal tribes

The researchers, led by Mateja Hajdinjak at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, extracted tiny amounts of bone or tooth powder—sometimes as little as 9mg—and used a chemical process to remove modern genetic contamination. They also checked for the telltale signs of degradation found in ancient DNA.

These early humans survived a supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago

A Look Back at the 1960s PLATO Computing System

In the 1960s, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana—Champaign developed a computer system that they hoped would expand access to education. They envisioned instructors usingthe system to build lessons, and students stationing themselves at machines—whose touchscreen plasma displays had a distinct orange glow—to complete coursework.