Tech

Shining an infrared light on how “metal soaps” threaten priceless oil paintings

Enlarge / NIST researchers collaborated with the National Gallery of Art and other organizations to study “metal soaps” found in oil paintings. The soaps can cause the painting to degrade over time. (credit: National Gallery of Art/A. Centrone/NIST) Scientists at the National Institute of Standards of Technology collaborated with the National Gallery of Art and […]

Tech

X-rays reveal secrets of 14th-century tomb of England’s infamous Black Prince

Enlarge / Effigy of Edward of Woodstock, aka the Black Prince, in Canterbury Cathedral. (credit: Josep Renalias/CC BY-SA 2.5) Visitors to Canterbury Cathedral can view the effigy of a 14th-century knight in full armor laid out on top of a marble tomb. It’s the tomb of Edward of Woodstock, colloquially known as the Black Prince, […]

Tech

1, 000-year-old Peruvian mask’s red paint contains human blood, study finds

Enlarge / A red paint sample taken from a 1, 000-year-old mask excavated through a Sicán tomb in Peru contains human blood and bird egg proteins, in addition to a red cinnabar pigment. (credit: Adapted from E. Pires et al., JPR, 2021) Ever since a 1, 000-year-old gold mask was excavated from a tomb in […]

Tech

Study sheds new light on polar explorer’s final hours, 100+ years later

Enlarge / Danish explorer Jørgen Brønlund’s petroleum burner was found in 1973. Brønlund and two compatriots died in 1907 during an expedition to Greenland. (credit: Jørn Ladegaard) Over 100 years ago, a Danish explorer named Jørgen Brønlund perished during an expedition to northeast Greenland, along with two members of his expedition. He left behind a […]

Tech

It Is now possible to Find Fake whisky without opening the Jar

Expand / Within a dunnage warehouse of Highland Park whisky distillery. A new mobile spectrometer will help discover bogus whiskies. (charge: Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert/Getty Picture ) There is nothing like the joy of sipping a nice Scotch whisky, for all people whose tastes run into these indulgences. However, how can you make certain you’re paying to […]