A newly deciphered tablet offers new hints about the shape of an ancient vessel.

Out in the desert it's hard to know when one solar panel among millions has failed. Unless you're a drone. 

5 Intriguing Things is a curated collection of links that help us think about the future. Today's edition is guest-edited by Virginia Hughes. Subscribe to the daily newsletter.

News publishers lost the homepage firehose, and gained a social media flood. It's making the news more about readers, and less about news.

Welcome to Britain's National Collection of Yeast Cultures.