Why savanna elephants are considered ecosystem engineers. bit.ly/4z3IDCU

One year after the species was reclassified from “endangered” to “least concern,” green turtles in the western Indian Ocean exemplify that return—and the subtleties a global designation can miss. bit.ly/4zPRvfq

Coast redwoods, which grow only from central California to southern Oregon, slow photosynthesis when temperatures ramp up, according to a new study. Scientists worry about the towering plants’ future amid climate change. bit.ly/4z35mz1

Elizabeth Van Lew operated a network of spies in Richmond, Virginia, sending coded messages to General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. bit.ly/47xsM3f

From the archive: Pablo Picasso is most famous for his role in the Cubist movement, but there's a lesser-known part of his career: his skill as a printmaker. bit.ly/4yDNCJw

This year’s winners of the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition include zoomed-in shots of slime mold spores, baby sea urchins bathed in fluorescence and everyday writing utensils transformed into enchanted objects. bit.ly/4BhbtRC

The world’s newest opera house officially opened its doors this week, featuring a bold architectural flair and a soaring spiral staircase that connects city streets to a rooftop stage and observation deck. bit.ly/47x0hTu

Eyes may be the window to the soul, but new archaeological research shows that teeth could hold the clues to understanding social status among medieval England’s lead mining communities. bit.ly/4BhyCDo

When it came to testing American aircraft, a super-sized wind tunnel fan demonstrated that bigger was oftentimes better. bit.ly/4idwhRo

White dwarf stars are too far from Earth to be observed directly. So, scientists reconstructed how they’d look to human eyes based on the wavelengths of light they emit and found a colorful array of objects that might appear yellow, purple or pink. bit.ly/47RAXI1

When humans need to feel rejuvenated, they touch grass. When corals need to recover from bleaching, they should touch a healthy clone, according to new research. bit.ly/3WlObKi

When Catharina van Hemessen was 20, she painted what is widely believed to be the earliest known self-portrait of an artist at work. bit.ly/4iyuCHl

Before you turn your nose up at the sweet and spicy combination, consider its roots in the country’s post-World War II food culture. #WorldPizzaMakersDay bit.ly/47zEBpC

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Norse church in southern Greenland, a find that could offer new insights into the lives of the Vikings who once called the island home. bit.ly/4zb6bpa

Archaeologists in Scotland have unearthed the remains of a controversial structure near Glasgow that was the nexus of a violent 1823 clash over land rights and private property. bit.ly/3VWfieR

The phenomenon, which involves the geographic poles, is distinct from when the magnetic poles move. The planet’s solid crust and molten mantle occasionally shift and subsequently reorient themselves during what’s called true polar wander. bit.ly/4i2SFg3

Over the past century, the emblem of U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, commonly known as the Red Devils, has come to symbolize speed, ferocity, and a devil-may-care attitude in air combat exemplified by the squadron’s motto: “The Devil made me do it.” bit.ly/4ix8r4h

Since it first opened its doors on Bastille Day in 1883, the city hall of Limoges, France, has been celebrated as an architectural wonder. Much of the city hall was destroyed in a blaze that French authorities immediately characterized as arson. bit.ly/4soB6Mj

Madrid’s Sobrino de Botín is filled with legends, ghosts and priceless art. The food is pretty good, too. #NationalFoodDay bit.ly/47zm0Kl

When these small, slithering creatures feel threatened, they’ve perfected a unique method of fleeing from danger: cartwheeling. bit.ly/4jzqWWO