Yet the isotopic signature of DBC in the ocean does not match what rivers alone supply. This discrepancy suggests there are ...

Historically, the white smoke was created by burning the ballots together with dry straw. The black smoke was made from the ballots, wet straw, and with the addition of pitch to darken the color.

Here's how the conclave creates black and white smoke and why the Catholic Church began using them to signal whether a new pope has been elected.

White smoke drifting from the Sistine Chapel's chimney shows that cardinals who gathered from around the world to vote on a new pope have reached a majority and selected Pope Francis's successor.

Louisiana Creole expert Jari Honora shared his genealogical research on 69-year-old Chicago native Robert Prevost shortly after white smoke rose in St. Peter's Square.

If black smoke comes out of the chimney, it signifies that no candidate has yet received the required two-thirds majority vote. The black smoke is produced using a mixture of potassium perchlorate, ...

Today, thanks to modern chemistry, the smoke is unmistakable — thick black billows for inconclusive votes, or a bright white plume when a new pope is elected.

The 2025 Conclave begins today to elect Pope Francis’s successor. Here’s what time to watch for black or white smoke, how the process works, and where to stream it live.

There is no new Pope. Yet. Hours later than expected, black smoke was seen blowing out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on the end of the first day of the conclave to elect a ...

Tradition holds that black smoke indicates the cardinals have not yet agreed on a new leader, while white smoke signals that a new Pope has been elected. But what kind of smoke is it exactly?

Following Pope Francis’ death, the Vatican begins the conclave to elect a new pope, with smoke signals from the Sistine Chapel marking the votes.