Walko Lab (@walkolab.bsky.social)

Vesuvius volcano turned this brain to glass The brain of a man who died nearly 2000 years ago was turned to glass by extreme conditions during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Researchers studied the strange material found in the man’s skull and spine and deduced the presence of a super-heated ash cloud that would have caused the tissue to first liquify then rapidly cool into glass - a unique event that has even preserved some brain structures. Read the paper here: https://go.nature.com/4bnpr81 For more stories like these sign up for the Nature Briefing: An essential round-up of science news, opinion and analysis, free in your inbox every weekday: https://go.nature.com/371OcVF https://go.nature.com/3Dt4pIt