Newswise Feature Channel: History

Professor Etienne Ghys Unveils the Intricacies of Soccer Ball Design

Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study, City University of Hong Kong — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 22:45:43 EST

Professor Etienne Ghys, Permanent Secretary of the French Academy of Sciences and Emeritus Research Director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), delivered a thought-provoking HKIAS Distinguished Lecture on "Soccer Balls: Their History, Geometries, and Aerodynamics" on 30 October 2024 at City University of Hong Kong. The event, facilitated by Professor Neil Chada from the Department of Mathematics, attracted a diverse audience of academics and students. Notably, Ms Camelia Aissat, Deputy Consul of Education and Culture and Mr Louis Doucet, Head of Press and Communication from the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau, also showed keen interest and attended the lecture.

Historian's Latest Book Explores America's Road to Political Dysfunction

Binghamton University, State University of New York — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:50:23 EST

The Path to Paralysis: How American Politics Became Nasty, Dysfunctional, and a Threat to the Republic, released in mid-October by Anthem Press, examines the changes in political culture that have moved the United States from The Great Society to the U.S. Capitol Insurrection in less than 60 years. Polarization and toxicity are now common in a country that is 50/50 red/blue, and "compromise" is considered a dirty word.

Have We Found All the Major Maya Cities? Not Even Close, New Research Suggests

Northern Arizona University — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 05:00:00 EST

Researchers' analysis of "found" lidar data from a completely unstudied corner of the Maya civilization revealed countless settlements that archaeologists never knew about. The study demonstrates, once and for all, that there's still plenty of the Maya world to uncover.

UA Little Rock Unveils New Website Tracking Over a Century of Little Rock's History

University of Arkansas at Little Rock — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:10:54 EST

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has debuted a new educational website that chronicles the evolution of the City of Little Rock through more than a century of history. Funded by two grants totaling more than $375,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Mapping Little Rock History project allows users to explore key moments in the city's expansion.

Benjamin Gwinneth: Uncovering the Effects of Past Climate Change

Universite de Montreal — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 12:00:52 EST

Newly appointed geography professor Benjamin Gwinneth uses innovative geochemical methods, such as measuring fecal molecules, to understand how climate variability shaped ancient populations.

Expert Available: Met Gala to Spotlight Black Dandyism and Empowerment

George Washington University — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 12:00:31 EST

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute will feature "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" in its 2025 spring exhibition, exploring the history and cultural significance of Black dandyism. ...

Underwater Caves Yield New Clues About Sicily's First Residents

Washington University in St. Louis — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:00:00 EST

Archaeological surveys led by scientists at Washington University in St. Louis suggest that coastal and underwater cave sites in southern Sicily contain important new clues about the path and fate of early human migrants to the island.

E Itaskweak: Learning About the Land in the Digital Age

Universite de Montreal — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 12:00:03 EST

An Atikamekw First Nation community is collaborating with UdeM researchers to create a digital platform to pass on ancestral knowledge about the land.

Curious by Nature: Dr. Elise Wang - Conspiracy Theories from Medieval Times to Today

Newswise — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:05:33 EST

In this episode of Curious by Nature, we sat down with Dr. Elise Wang, an assistant professor at Cal State University, Fullerton, and a medievalist who specialized in the literature, history, and lore of the medieval period. Dr. Wang discussed her work teaching early literature courses and her research into conspiracy theories, examining them as narratives.

In November the Famous 'Lucy' Fossil Discovery Turns 50, Continues to Impact Human Origins Scientific Research

Arizona State University (ASU) — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 06:05:00 EST

Fifty years ago--on November 24, 1974--only a few years after humans' first steps on the moon, a young paleoanthropologist, Donald Johanson, walking in the dusty landscape of the Afar Rift Valley of Ethiopia discovered the first human ancestor fossil who reliably walked upright on two feet--"Lucy."

Scientists Turn to Human Skeletons to Explore Origins of Horseback Riding

University of Colorado Boulder — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:05:44 EST

A new, wide-ranging exploration of human remains casts doubt on a long-standing theory in archaeology known as the Kurgan hypothesis--which, among other claims, suggests that humans first domesticated horses as early as the fourth millennium B.C.

The Wildlife Conservation Society Launches Digitized Department of Tropical Research Film Collection

Wildlife Conservation Society — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:05:29 EST

The WCS Library and Archives, based at the Bronx Zoo, released its newly digitized Department of Tropical Research (DTR) Film Collection. The project was funded by the Council on Library and Information Resources' (CLIR) Recordings at Risk grant, supported by the Mellon Foundation.

Expert Available: Constitution Day

George Washington University — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:00:35 EST

The Constitution turns 237 today. ...

Arkansas University Starts Community Archaeology Project to Uncover Local History

University of Arkansas at Little Rock — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:05:45 EST

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has started a community archaeology project on campus, inviting local residents to join forces with students and faculty in uncovering the rich history of the area.

Uncovering the Story Behind the Mongol Invasions of Japan

Universite de Montreal — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:05:06 EST

When Japanese samurai repelled the Mongols, their victories were attributed to typhoons whipped up by divine forces. Now, Ph.D. candidate Jeremy Le Blanc-Gauthier is taking a fresh look at the legend.

The History Recorded in Your Teeth

University of Utah Health — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:05:03 EST

The places we grew up leave indelible marks on us, locked in the atoms of the toughest structures in our bodies. Subtle differences in tooth chemistry could help determine the identity of fallen soldiers and other human remains--if we can learn to read that history.

New NASA Sonifications Listen to the Universe's Past

Chandra X-ray Observatory — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 08:05:09 EST

Text, images, and video: https://chandra.si.edu/photo/2024/sonify9/ A quarter of a century ago, NASA released the "first light" images from the agency's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This introduction to the world of Chandra's high-resolution X-ray imaging capabilities included an unprecedented view of Cassiopeia A, the remains of an exploded star located about 11,000 light-years from Earth. Over the years, Chandra's views of Cassiopeia A have become some of the telescope's best-known images. To mark the anniversary of this milestone, new sonifications of three images -- including Cassiopeia A (Cas A) -- are being released. Sonification is a process that translates astronomical data into sound, similar to how digital data are more routinely turned into images. This translation process preserves the science of the data from its original digital state but provides an alternative pathway to experiencing the data.

Unveiling the Genetic Tapestry of Australian Citrus: Insights into Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolutionary History

Chinese Academy of Sciences — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:05:24 EST

A research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of phylogenetic relationships among Australian citrus species and 13 international accessions, shedding light on their genetic diversity and evolutionary history.

NASA's Roman Space Telescope to Investigate Galactic Fossils

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:10:09 EST

The universe may seem static, only capable of being captured in still frames, but that is far from the truth. It is actually ever-changing, just not on timescales clearly visible to humans. NASA's upcoming Roman Space Telescope will bridge this gap in time, opening the way to the dynamic universe.

NSF Grant Empowers FAU to Explore Caribbean Climate Crisis with Ethnography

Florida Atlantic University — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 08:30:29 EST

Researchers have received a $650,000 NSF grant to investigate the cultural dimensions of ecological instability by studying the experiences of vulnerable communities in South Florida and Puerto Rico. Using ethnography, they will capture the nuanced ways in which communities are responding to ecological disruptions. Understanding how cultures adapt to ecological instability can provide valuable insights for communities worldwide, including those in the Caribbean. By documenting and analyzing these responses, researchers can develop and refine strategies to enhance collective survival.