The Coolest Discoveries You Skipped While Checking Stories

When you think of super pricey colors, gold, silver, and purple probably come to mind. But back in Pompeii, blue was the real showstopper. Known as Egyptian blue and later renamed Pompeian blue, this color was total luxury, glamorously coating walls in ancient Egypt as far back as 2,500 BCE. And in Pompeii, the demand was so high that blue could cost more than even the Finding a blue artifact from Pompeii is not easy, let alone a whole room. But in May 2024, archaeologists finally uncovered a completely blue room filled with murals, featuring female figures and symbols of the four seasons. This gem was actually discovered ages ago during the Bourbon era, but it took until recently to finish a full excavation. The blue room isn't huge, about 86 square feet, but don't forget that vibrant blue is rare for Pompeian frescoes, usually saved for the fanciest spots. Experts think this room may have been a sanctuary for rituals or sacred stuff. Among the finds were bronze jugs, lamps, and 15 hefty amphorae. Amphorae were the tupperware of ancient Rome, perfect for transporting liquids like olive oil, beverages, or garum, an infamous fermented fish sauce that Romans couldn't get enough of. Their tapered design meant they had to either stand on a rack or be buried in the ground, but that shape made shipping them really efficient. Also, the archaeologists found there were building materials for renovations and a ridiculous number of empty oyster shells. While you might think this room hosted some fancy shindigs with oysters and gallons of beverages in those amphoras, in reality, the shells weren't even leftovers from a posh dinner party. Instead, experts believe they were ground up to mix with plaster and mortar. The next find was unearthed around two decades ago, but the scientists only realized it in 2024. They had dug up the oldest cheese ever, clocking in at a whopping 3,600 years! The previous record holder was only 3,200 years old, found in an Egyptian tomb of some big shot named Tukmiz. When they discovered that younger cheese, they found broken jars with this solid, whitish mass inside. It took some serious sleuthing to confirm it was cheese and not some ancient science experiment gone wrong. But let's go back to this 3,600-year-old cheese. It wasn't just sitting around like any old lump. It was actually a fashion statement. It was found in the tomb with the mummy of a young woman from northwestern China. She had the cheese hanging around her neck like some sort of dairy bling! Now let's talk taste. When experts were asked if they'd try the cheese, their answer was a swift, no way. So basically, nobody's diving in to find out if it's pungent or not. But thanks to some fancy tech, they can analyze flavors. But even if they had dared to try, I bet it's nothing to write home about since it's as hard as rock now. Scientists figured out this cheese was likely kefir cheese, made from fermenting milk with kefir grains and had both goat and cow milk in it. Funny enough, the ladies whose tomb it was found in belonged to the Xiaoha people, who were probably lactose intolerant. But don't fret. Despite their limited plant options, they could still enjoy cheese since this kefir delicacy had surprisingly low lactose levels. Remember when everything felt brighter? The grass greener, people friendlier, and trees looking regal? Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating about the grass and the folks, but not the trees. In 2024, some ancient plant fossils from New Brunswick, Canada, are making waves. They uncovered Sanforteocolus densifolia, a tree over 350 million years old. It sported a trunk flaunting over 250 massive leaves, some up to 5.5 feet long. Instead of a classic crown, it had a bottle brush appearance on a slim trunk just 6.3 inches wide. It's like this tree went to the gym and skipped leg day for leaf gains. Typically, ancient trees are depicted as basic trunks, but this one is a real standout. It's somewhat similar to today's ferns and palms, though palms came later. These fossils are well-preserved, buried in an ancient fault lake after an earthquake. While many might just think, cool tree, scientists are excited. This discovery helps them piece together our planet's evolution over millions of years. I get it, those blue rooms, ancient trees, and cheese aren't exactly inspiring much hope for the future, but I've got something that might just change the game. In 2024, scientists discovered a new theoretically habitable planet called Gliese 12b. It's a bit smaller than Earth, but bigger than Venus, and is orbiting a mellow red dwarf star about 40 light years away in the Pisces constellation. This star is just 27% the size of our sun and 60% as hot, which puts Gliese 12b in the Goldilocks zone, where liquid water could actually exist, even with its speedy 12.8-day orbit. If it's got no atmosphere, the surface temperature is about 107 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you're used to Arizona summers, you'll be just fine. The only problem is that Gliese 12b is 12 parsecs away, and sec here doesn't mean a quick second. With our fastest spacecraft, a trip would take around 225,000 years. To put it in perspective, if we imagine a regular human lifespan of 100 years, which is already slightly exaggerated, it will take about 2,250 generations to get there. Still, it's nice to know we have Gliese 12b on deck in case things go south here on Earth. And even if we never actually get there, studying it with the James Webb Space Telescope might help unravel the mystery of why Earth stayed livable while Venus didn't. Archaeologists in Egypt have made an exciting discovery. They found the upper half of a huge statue of Ramses II. This 12.5-foot limestone piece was uncovered in Hermopolis, now Ashmunen, and it lines up perfectly with the lower part found in 1930. It took almost 100 years to finish the puzzle. The statue shows Ramses seated, wearing a crown and a headdress with a cobra, symbolizing his rule over both Upper and Lower Egypt. The back of the statue is covered in hieroglyphs listing the king's numerous titles, highlighting his status as one of ancient Egypt's most powerful pharaohs. Combining the upper and lower pieces would create a statue nearly 23 feet tall! You probably know the Statue of Liberty was a French gift, but did you know that the famous Venetian lions were actually made in China and not Italy? Back in 1295, Marco Polo returned to Venice from a place called Catae, we now know it as China, and shared some wild stories about everything from paper money to coal and even Kublai Khan's swanky palace in Xanadu. While some people back then rolled their eyes at his tales, modern scholars are still raising their eyebrows a bit. Despite the skepticism, Polo is a key figure connecting Europe to ancient China. Now, some recent research suggests Venice and China were already well-connected before Polo's trip. A prime example? The Bronze Lion of Venice in St. Mark's Square. Researchers from the University of Padua believe that it actually came from Chinese copper around the lower Yangtze River more than 3,000 years ago, all due to a chemical analysis they ran in 2024. The winged lion became Venice's symbol between 1261 and 1264, probably even before Polo's adventures. Experts point out its resemblance to the Tang Dynasty tomb guardians, which hint it might have had a makeover on its way to Venice. 2024 is not only the year of scientific discoveries, but also the treasure hunt year. A two-foot-tall bronze statue of the Greek deity Diana, once a fixture on the Titanic's fireplace mantle, was discovered during a recent underwater expedition. Discovering this statue was like finding a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is 2.5 miles deep in the ocean. It's just one of the many art pieces maritime archaeologists have been looking for among the Titanic's wreckage. It was more than just a luxury liner, it was filled with art treasures, from a 1912 Renault to this stunning statue inspired by a piece at the Louvre. Then give the video a like and share it with your friends. Or, if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!