Ancient erotic art stolen from Pompeii over 80 years ago has been officially returned to Italy, as announced by the nation’s cultural heritage police. This 2,000-year-old mosaic, featuring a half-naked couple, was taken during World War II by a Nazi officer.

The mosaic, which depicts a man reclining in bed with a female partner standing in front of him, provides a glimpse into the themes of domestic intimacy that began to emerge in ancient Roman art. It was recovered following diplomatic negotiations between Italy and Germany and is set to be displayed in Pompeii, alongside numerous other archaeological treasures.

The piece was originally stolen from the vicinity of Pompeii, located near Naples, by a German army captain tasked with military logistics in Italy. After taking the mosaic, the officer gifted it to a civilian, who retained it until his death. His heirs subsequently contacted Italian authorities to facilitate the artwork’s return upon realizing its true origin.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the German-born director of the Pompeii archaeological park, remarked on the cultural significance of the mosaic. He noted that while earlier Roman art predominantly focused on heroic myths and deities, this piece reflects a shift towards more relatable themes of love and intimacy. Zuchtriegel pointed out the male figure’s expression, indicating a sense of ennui, which adds depth to the portrayal of domestic life.

The mosaic is set on a slab of travertine and is dated to between the late 1st century B.C. and the 1st century A.D.. It will join hundreds of other artifacts in Pompeii, a city that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The eruption preserved many aspects of Roman life, including a wealth of sexually explicit artworks that have been documented in the ruins.

Pompeii’s history is marked by the catastrophic volcanic eruption that led to its burial under layers of ash. The thermal energy released was significantly greater than that of the nuclear blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The site was lost for nearly 1,500 years until its rediscovery in the late 16th century, followed by extensive excavations in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many artifacts recovered from Pompeii, including the mosaic, highlight the city’s vibrant culture, which included a well-documented affinity for brothels, alcohol, and explicit art. Hundreds of such works are housed in the Secret Museum at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. This collection includes phallic statuary and graphic depictions believed to have served as advertisements for local establishments.

In the early 19th century, the explicit nature of some pieces led to the closure of certain museum areas, which remained restricted until their reopening in 2000. The ongoing excavations continue to yield significant findings, shedding light on the lives of those who once inhabited this ancient city.

As the mosaic returns to its rightful home, it serves as a reminder of the rich and complex tapestry of Roman life that was so suddenly interrupted by disaster. The story of this artwork, from its theft during a tumultuous period to its eventual repatriation, reflects the enduring significance of cultural heritage and the efforts made to restore it.

Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, have identified a simple yet effective way to communicate non-verbally, using a specific sequence of eye movements. This discovery could have significant implications in social interactions, allowing individuals to express their needs without saying a word.

The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, reveals that to indicate a desire for something, a person should look at an object, establish eye contact with another individual, and then return their gaze to the object. This sequence was shown to prompt the highest likelihood of others interpreting the gaze as a request for assistance.

The research involved 137 participants who engaged in a block-building task with a virtual partner. During the task, they had to discern whether their partner was inspecting or requesting one of three objects. Lead author Dr. Nathan Caruana emphasized that the context of eye movements plays a crucial role in effective communication.

“We found that it’s not just how often someone looks at you, but the context of their eye movements that makes that behavior appear communicative and relevant,” Dr. Caruana explained. Participants were quickest to recognize a request when eye contact occurred between two shifts of gaze towards the same object.

The implications of this research extend beyond casual interactions. The findings may enhance communication in high-pressure environments, such as competitive sports, military operations, or noisy settings. Furthermore, the team discovered that similar responses occurred when robots employed the same gaze behavior, suggesting a broader application of these principles in human-robot interaction.

“Understanding how eye contact works could improve non-verbal communication training in various settings,” Dr. Caruana noted. This research could be particularly beneficial for individuals who rely heavily on visual cues, including those who are hearing-impaired or autistic.

In a related vein, previous studies have also highlighted the utility of eye contact in different scenarios. For instance, Dr. Neeltje Boogert, a research fellow in behavioral ecology at the University of Exeter, indicated that focusing one’s gaze on seagulls can deter them from approaching food. “Gulls find the human gaze aversive and are less likely to approach your food when you’re staring them down,” she stated.

The importance of eye contact and gaze direction in communication is further illustrated by several eye signals and their meanings. Normal eye contact, for example, indicates engagement and attentiveness, while prolonged eye contact can suggest attraction or aggression. Conversely, limited eye contact may signal discomfort or disinterest.

Additionally, pupil dilation can reflect emotional states, with dilated pupils often indicating interest or attraction, whereas constricted pupils may be associated with negative emotions. Understanding these nuances can enhance interpersonal interactions, making individuals more attuned to the unspoken cues present in social exchanges.

This research not only sheds light on a fundamental aspect of human interaction but also opens avenues for improving communication strategies across various fields. By mastering the art of non-verbal cues, individuals may enhance their ability to connect with others, whether in everyday situations or specialized environments.

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has successfully showcased a novel method of interstellar navigation by utilizing the light from just two stars to determine its location and trajectory. This groundbreaking technique was developed by an international team of researchers and marks a significant advancement for future missions exploring the farthest reaches of our solar system and potentially beyond.

On April 23, 2020, New Horizons imaged the star-fields containing Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359, two of the nearest stars to Earth, while astronomers conducted similar observations from our planet. At that time, New Horizons was approximately 47.1 astronomical units (AU), or around seven billion kilometers, from Earth, as measured by NASA’s Deep Space Network. This distance was crucial for demonstrating the concept of parallax, where observations from two different vantage points allow for precise measurements of celestial positions.

The team, led by Tod Lauer from NOIRLab, focused on these two stars due to their proximity—Proxima Centauri is just 4.2 light-years away, while Wolf 359 is located 7.9 light-years from Earth. The difference in perspective from New Horizons and Earth enabled the researchers to observe these stars in slightly different positions relative to the background stars, resulting in a measurable parallax angle. The observations indicated a parallax angle of 32.4 arcseconds for Proxima Centauri and 15.7 arcseconds for Wolf 359.

To calculate New Horizons’ position using these measurements, the team applied basic trigonometry, leveraging the known distances to the stars. Although the project was more a proof-of-concept than a definitive navigation solution, it highlighted the feasibility of using this method for future spacecraft.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges for the team in executing their observations. Edward Gomez from the UK’s Cardiff University shared his experience in coordinating these efforts. “Tod Lauer contacted me saying that these two observations were going to be made, and was there any possibility that I could take them with the Las Cumbres telescope network?” Gomez reflected. Ultimately, he was able to capture images of Proxima Centauri from the Las Cumbres telescope at Siding Spring in Australia, while Wolf 359 was observed by the University of Louisville’s Manner Telescope at Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona.

The analysis of these observations utilized a 3D model of the stellar neighbourhood, based on data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission. Despite the limitations in precision—New Horizons’ position was calculated to within 0.27 AU and its heading to an accuracy of 0.4 degrees—the research team found value in the results. Gomez noted, “The good thing about this method is just having two close stars as our reference stars. The handed-down wisdom normally is that you need loads and loads [of stars], but actually you just need two and that’s enough to triangulate your position.”

While more sophisticated navigation methods, such as pulsar measurements, exist, they often require larger and more complex equipment. Current techniques have been successfully demonstrated on the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit, but this is the first instance of interstellar navigation being attempted for a spacecraft located far from Earth.

As of now, New Horizons continues its journey, having cleared the Kuiper Belt and currently situated at 61 AU from Earth. Looking ahead, Gomez expressed hope for future parallax measurements under better conditions. “I hope so. Now that we’ve written a paper in The Astronomical Journal that’s getting some interest, hopefully we can reproduce it, but nothing has been planned so far.”

This innovative navigation technique not only illustrates the potential for future interstellar missions but also brings a sense of nostalgia for Gomez, who reminisced about his early interests in mathematics and space exploration. “When I was doing [high school] mathematics more years ago than I care to remember, I was a massive Star Trek fan and I did a three-dimensional interstellar navigation system as my mathematics project!” Now, he finds himself as part of a team using the stars to guide humanity’s exploratory emissaries into the cosmos.

A team of researchers has identified a new genus and species of mole, named Vulcanoscaptor ninoti, from a fossil discovered at the Camp dels Ninots site in Caldes de Malavella, Spain. This significant find sheds light on the evolutionary history of moles, revealing insights into their past distribution and anatomical diversity.

The fossil, unearthed at one of southern Europe’s most important paleontological sites, dates back over 3.5 million years to the Pliocene epoch. Researchers from the Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), and the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) collaborated on this groundbreaking study, published in Scientific Reports.

The specimen maintains an impressive state of preservation, including the mandible with complete dentition, parts of the torso, and numerous bones from both forelimbs and hindlimbs. Many of these bones remain in anatomical connection, making this fossil one of the most complete and oldest moles ever found in Europe.

Unexpected Evolutionary Insights

Anatomical and phylogenetic analyses indicate that Vulcanoscaptor ninoti belongs to the Scalopini tribe, which is currently found only in North America and parts of Asia. This discovery suggests a more complex evolutionary scenario for moles than previously understood.

“Despite its clearly fossorial morphology, this mole is closely related to extant North American species of the genera Scapanus and Scalopus, which points to a far more intricate evolutionary history for these animals than we had imagined,” noted Dr. Marc Furió, a professor at UAB and co-author of the study. The presence of this mole in Europe indicates possible transcontinental migrations, challenging the notion that moles are limited in their dispersal capabilities.

The fossil, which was found embedded in compact sediment, was entirely extracted during excavation. To study it without causing damage, the research team employed high-resolution micro-computed tomography (microCT) scanning. This technique allowed them to create a detailed three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the skeleton.

“With the microCT, we were able to analyze extremely small and delicate structures—such as phalanges and teeth—that would have been nearly impossible to study otherwise,” explained Adriana Linares, the study’s lead author and a researcher at IPHES-CERCA. This innovative approach facilitated the identification of unique anatomical features, solidifying the placement of this new taxon within the Scalopini tribe.

Unique Geological Context

The Camp dels Ninots site, where the fossil was discovered in 2010, has been a focal point for paleontological research since 2003. Declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest by the Government of Catalonia in 2015, this location is situated within the crater of a Pliocene maar volcano. The sediments, deposited in anoxic conditions, have created an environment that preserves a rich fossil record.

The site is renowned for its diverse vertebrate remains, including large mammals, microfauna, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish, as well as macrovegetal remains and microorganisms. Notably, complete skeletons of large mammals such as Stephanorhinus jeanvireti and Tapirus arvernensis have been found in excellent anatomical condition.

“Camp dels Ninots is an extraordinary site, in terms of both the quality and diversity of its fossil record,” stated Dr. Gerard Campeny, co-director of the excavations and researcher at IPHES-CERCA. “It allows us to reconstruct entire ecosystems from this fascinating period: the Pliocene.”

The findings regarding Vulcanoscaptor ninoti contribute to a reassessment of the evolutionary history of moles, highlighting the potential for intercontinental dispersals and an underappreciated anatomical diversity among small mammals. This research emphasizes the significance of exceptional fossil sites in enhancing our understanding of species that are rarely represented in the fossil record.

For further details, refer to the study by Adriana Linares-Martín et al., titled “An unexpected Scalopini mole (Talpidae, Mammalia) from the Pliocene of Europe sheds light on the phylogeny of talpids,” published in Scientific Reports in 2025.