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Kingdom-busting volcanoes linked to the rise of the Roman Empire

Earth

Kingdom-busting volcanoes linked to the rise of the Roman Empire

Unrest that spelled the end of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, paving the way for the Roman Empire, may have been triggered by droughts caused by eruptions

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G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons) and Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel) walk together, deep in conversation

Humans

The Man Who Knew Infinity fails to break the mathematical mould

CultureLab

This 3000 year old scroll survived Vesuvius's eruption

Technology

Lead ink from scrolls may unlock library destroyed by Vesuvius

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Elements

Humans

The maddeningly magical maths of John Dee

CultureLab

The Course of Empire: The Destruction (1836) by Thomas Cole

Earth

125-year mini ice age linked to the plague and fall of empires

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DNA was taken from ancient human bones, like this skull, from the Dolnte Vestonice burial site in the Czech Republic

Humans

Mystery invaders conquered Europe at the end of last ice age

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<em>The Wheel</em>: A new book puts a basic technology in its place

Technology

The Wheel: A new book puts a basic technology in its place

CultureLab

Oldest salmon bones hint how Stone Age migration was fuelled

Life

Oldest salmon bones hint how Stone Age migration was fuelled

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Technology

Tweet old things – why a Twitter back catalogue is a good thing

Leader

Norse legend? The Viking 'GPS' that relied on crystals

Life

Norse legend? The Viking 'GPS' that relied on crystals

Nearly 50 years on, there's still no consensus on the intriguing theory that Viking sailors navigated by viewing the sky through crystal slabs

Features

Life

Split skull provides rare slice of dissection history

Regulars

Life

Eureka relived: Wash like an Egyptian

Features

Physics

Eureka relived: Rogue boiling points

Features

Physics

Eureka relived: Spark of genius proved truth of light

Features