Ancient Roman Mosaic Discovered Under Italian Vineyard

In Negrar di Valpolicella (located near Verona in northern Italy), archeologists have discovered an ornate, ancient mosaic floor buried beneath the soil of a vineyard. The tiles belong to what’s known as the Roman Villa—a site discovered over a century ago—and have been sitting just a few meters underground since the third century AD. The land-owners, researchers and municipality are working together to find a …

Mystery of Glass Frogs’ Translucent Skin Solved

Found in tropical Central and South America, the glass frog (of the Centrolenidae family) was the center of a recent study which reveals the creature’s translucent skin to be a camouflage device. While the frog’s back is typically “vivid green with their intestines and heart visible through their underbelly,” their legs are more see-through—making them much harder to detect. Dr James Barnett (postdoctoral researcher and …

Astronaut Urine Will Be a Valuable Resource on the Moon

Since the cost of shipping resources to the moon remains prohibitively high, planning for long stints—or even habitation—requires savvy, as the rugged surface (aka regolith) restricts growth. Earlier this year, researchers found that, when mixed with moon dirt, astronaut urine could be a remarkably useful building material. When urea, “the second-most common compound in human urine after water” is blended with the dirt, the resulting …