Archive For The “culture” Category

Ancient DNA Is Rewriting Human (and Neanderthal) History

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Ancient DNA Is Rewriting Human (and Neanderthal) History

The genomes of the long dead are turning up all sorts of unexpected and controversial findings Geneticist David Reich used to study the living, but now he studies the dead. The precipitating event came in the form of 40,000-year-old Neanderthal bones found in a Croatian cave. So well-preserved were the bones that they yielded enough…

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Only Leonardo da Vinci in private hands set to fetch £75m at auction

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Only Leonardo da Vinci in private hands set to fetch £75m at auction

Salvator Mundi was confirmed as an authentic old master just six years ago, having sold for £45 at auction in 1958  The Guardian – The only Leonardo da Vinci painting in private hands, which fetched just £45 at a sale in 1958, is to be sold at auction with an estimate of $100m (£75m). Salvator…

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The problem for the world’s most expensive spice

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The problem for the world’s most expensive spice

The spice saffron, as well as being famously expensive, is packed with antioxidants. It is said to help combat depression and lower blood pressure, to soften your skin and hair and is essential in a broad range of dishes from Swedish buns to paella. So what’s stopping it becoming as fashionable as turmeric and cinnamon?…

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