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Editors' Picks

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

A special report on the secrets of our DNA

Don’t Listen to the Buzz: Lobsters Aren’t Actually Immortal

Contrary to memes circulating online, lobsters can't live forever—but they do keep growing and growing until they die

When Large Birds Disappear, Rainforests Suffer

A century after toucans and toucanets disappeared from patches of Brazilian jungle, trees have evolved to have smaller, weaker seeds

Smart News - Keeping You Current

New Research

Pesticides May Be Harmful to Animals Even at “Safe” Levels

Cool Finds

Working In a Creative Field? Despite What You May Think, Coffee Is Not Your Best Friend

Trending Today

Supreme Court Hands Big Loss to Big Pharma

See more  

Science Beats

Science & Nature

Page 4 of 155

Heavy Metals, Insects and Other Weird Things Found in Lipstick Through Time

From seaweed and beetles to lead and synthetic chemicals, lipstick has seen its share of strange—and dangerous—components
May 03, 2013 | By Marina Koren

Creepy or Cool? Portraits Derived From the DNA in Hair and Gum Found in Public Places

Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg reconstructs the faces of strangers from genetic evidence she scavenges from the streets
May 03, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

The Secret to a Long Life May Be Deep Inside Your Brain

Scientists have found a way to slow the aging process. Unluckily for us, they've only been able to do it in mice
May 03, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Why Asparagus Makes Your Urine Smell

Our bodies convert asparagusic acid into sulfur-containing chemicals that stink—but some of us are spared from the pungent odor
May 03, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Five Innovative Technologies that Bring Energy to the Developing World

From soccer balls to cookstoves, engineers are working on a range of devices that provide cheap, clean energy
May 02, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Want to See How an Artist Creates a Painting? There’s an App for That

The Repentir app reveals an artist's creative process by allowing users to peel back layers of paint with the touch of their fingertips
May 02, 2013 | By Marina Koren

Baby Sand Tiger Sharks Devour Their Siblings While Still in the Womb

This seemingly horrific reproduction strategy may be a way for females to better control which males sire her offspring
April 30, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

Look Ma, No Fuel! Flying Cross Country on Sun Power

This week one of the strangest flying machines you've ever seen will start its journey across America--without a drop of fuel
April 30, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Saving the Cao Vit Gibbon, the Second Rarest Ape in the World

Setting aside additional protected areas and creating forest corridors could help this Asian primate bounce back from just 110 individuals
April 26, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

The Strange Beauty of David Maisel’s Aerial Photographs

A new book shows how the photographer creates startling images of open-pit mines, evaporation ponds and other sites of environmental degradation
April 26, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

How Big Data Will Mean the End to Job Interviews

Companies will rely more and more on analyzing mountains of data to determine who's the best fit for a job.
April 26, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Cops Could Soon Use Breathalyzers to Test for Illegal Drugs

Swedish researchers are developing a system that tests for 12 different drugs on your breath, including cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines
April 26, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

14 Fun Facts About Penguins

Which penguin swims the fastest? Do penguins have teeth? Why do penguins sneeze? How is penguin poop useful?
April 25, 2013 | By Hannah Waters

Google Search Terms Can Predict the Stock Market

An investing strategy based on the frequency of certain words Google searches, it turns out, might yield sizable profits
April 25, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Why Women Like Deep Voices and Men Prefer High Ones

We find different pitches attractive because of the body size they signal—and a touch of breathiness is crucial to take the edge off deep voices in men
April 24, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

For Some Species, You Really Are What You Eat

Flamingos, shrimp and many other animals use chemical compounds found in their diets to color their exteriors
April 24, 2013 | By Marina Koren

Eight New Things We’ve Learned About Music

It's right up there with food, sex and drugs when its comes to stirring up pleasure responses in our brains.
April 24, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Heart Attacks May Be Linked to Air Pollution

Research conducted in six U.S. cities shows a connection between prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter in the air and a faster hardening of the arteries
April 23, 2013 | By Claire Martin

sun health

What is Causing Iran’s Spike in MS Cases?


Vitamin D deficiency from lack of sunlight could be an unexpected long-term consequence of the Iranian revolution

May 2013 | By Libby Copeland

Advances in genetic technology have opened a window into the populous and powerful world of microbial life in and around the human body.

Microbes: The Trillions of Creatures Governing Your Health


Scientists are just now beginning to recognize the importance of the vast community of microbes that dwells inside us

May 2013 | By Richard Conniff

Printed body parts

What Lies Ahead for 3-D Printing?

The new technology promises a factory in every home—and a whole lot more
May 2013 | By Elizabeth Royte

Neuroscience Explores Why Humans Feel Empathy for Robots

Brain scans show that the neurological patterns linked with pangs of empathy for humans also occur when we see a robot treated harshly
April 23, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Before and After: America’s Environmental History

For the EPA's State of the Environment Photography Project, people are returning to sites photographed in the 1970s. They are snapping the scenes yet again—to document any changes in the landscape
April 22, 2013 | By Marina Koren

10 Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since Last Earth Day

Pigeon-eating catfish, Antarctic trash, and more: A list of surprising, alarming and exciting discoveries about our planet from the past year
April 19, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Genetically Modified E. Coli Bacteria Can Now Synthesize Diesel Fuel

By combining genes from different bacteria species, scientists created E. coli that can consume fat and excrete diesel fuel
April 22, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

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