Smart News - Keeping You Current

See more  

Editors' Picks

Obesity Could Be the True Killer for Football Players

Head injuries have received much deserved attention in the news, but there’s a 350-pound problem that few are discussing

A Lucky Two Percent of People Have a Gene for Stink-Free Armpits

But a new study finds most of them still use deodorant

Beatboxing, as Seen Through Scientific Images

To see exactly how certain sound effects are humanly possible, a team of University of Southern California researchers took MRI scans of a beatboxer in action

Science Beats

Page 2 of 3

Imaging technology shows that a reward center known as the nucleus accumbens lights up when we hear melodies we love
April 11, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

By turning brains clear and applying colored dyes, connections between neuron networks can now be examined in 3D at unprecedented levels of detail
April 10, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

This year, a San Francisco-based artist will unveil 365 new paintings, reminiscent of growing bacteria, on her blog, The Daily Dish
April 05, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

Using droplets coated in oil as "ink," a 3D printer can construct a network of synthetic cells that mimics brain and fat tissue
April 04, 2013 | By Marina Koren

A learning algorithm, coupled with brain scans, was able to predict the images seen by dreamers with a 60 percent accuracy
April 04, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Scientists keep learning new things about food all the time, from the diet power of olive oil's aroma to how chewing gum can keep you away from healthy foods.
April 02, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

The first-ever sequencing of the "produce microbiome" reveals that grapes, peaches and sprouts host the largest diversity of harmless bacteria
March 27, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Being socially isolated increases your chance of death—but not because you're feeling depressed over being lonely
March 25, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

With a surprisingly light touch, the New York City-based photographer instills feelings of solitude in his images of massive glaciers
March 21, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

Scientists believe dirt could explain why some of the wealthiest countries suffer from afflictions rarely seen in less-developed nations
April 2013 | By Andrew Curry

A 100,000-year-old skull has a hole that reflects genetic mutations from inbreeding—likely a common behavior for our ancestors
March 19, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Neanderthal brains had more capacity devoted to vision and body control, with less left over for social interactions and complex cognition
March 12, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

More and more scientific research is showing that sleep is more important to our state of mind--and body--than we ever could have imagined.
March 08, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

The level of soot in Beijing's air is off the charts, leading to higher risks of lung cancer, heart attacks and other health problems
March 01, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

With nanomedicine, the strategy is not to poison cancer cells or to blast them away but to trick them
March 01, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Durable and rechargeable, the new battery can be stretched to 300 percent of its size and still provide power
February 27, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

The White House wants to fund a huge project that would allow scientists to see, in real time, how a brain does its work.
February 25, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Increased temperature and humidity have already limited humankind's overall capacity for physical work—and it will only get worse in the future
February 25, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

A different type of stem cell—one used in asexual reproduction—can create new heart muscle tissue without raising ethical questions, new studies show
February 23, 2013 | By Marina Koren

Artists are borrowing from biology to create dazzling "biodesigns" that challenge our aesthetics—and our place in nature
February 21, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

Cornell scientists used computerized scanning, 3D printers and cartilage from cows to create living prosthetic ears
February 21, 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

Neuroscientists prove what we always suspected: the two sexes see the world differently
March 2013 | By Libby Copeland

Scans show that liberals and conservatives use different parts of the brain when they take risks, helping to pinpoint the political party a person prefers
February 14, 2013 | By Marina Koren

British artist Luke Jerram's handblown glass sculptures show the visual complexity and delicacy of E. coli, swine flu, malaria and other killing agents
February 07, 2013 | By Claire Tinsley

A juried competition honors photographs, illustrations, videos, posters, games and apps that marry art and science in an evocative way
February 05, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

Advertisement

Follow Us

Travel with Smithsonian