New Research

Splat.

Giant Paintball Gun Could Save the World From Death-by-Asteroid

A big asteroid will eventually hit the Earth. What can we do to push it out of the way?

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Women Can’t Do Pull Ups? Not So Fast

With enough training and determination, women can do pull-ups

A Massive Field of Frozen Greenhouse Gas Is Thawing Out

Vast stores of methane hydrates off the US east coast are thawing out, but what this means is still up in the air

Can We Excuse Cheating If It Supports a Good Cause?

Is it ever ok for us to bend the rules or cheat in order to achieve a greater good, or to support those who do?

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People Discriminate Against Cats Based on Color, Too

People ascribe different personality traits to cats of different colors, a bias that skews adoption rates

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Platonic Friendships Between the Sexes Are Impossible

New research says it's not really possible for straight guys and gals to ever be "just friends"

A beluga whale

Beluga Whale Learns to Speak Like a Human

Beluga whales can vocalize in a way remarkably close to human speech, according to new observations

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Young People Still Love Libraries

Most Americans between 16 - 29 still use the library to get books—real, paper books

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People Leave Hospitals Unhappy Because Doctors Are Mean

Many patients leave the emergency room unhappy because they feel belittled or ignored

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No Life Found In Lakes Beneath Antarctic Glaciers—Yet

Scientists hoping to find life beneath Antarctic ice have so far come up empty-handed

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Dolphins Sleep With Only Half Their Brain at a Time

Dolphins sleep with only half of their brains at a time, bestowing them with the uncanny ability to stay constantly alert for at least 15 days in a row

Scavenging crow

Brain-Eating Crows May Help Spread Prion Diseases

Prions - the infectious proteins that cause illnesses in humans and other animals such as mad cow disease - can pass through the digestive systems of crows

Ominous, right?

Germophobes Take Note: Your Pillowcase Is As Dirty As Your Toilet

Bacterial swabs from toilet seats and pillowcases are pretty much indistinguishable

‘Eye Cells’ Hone in on Eye Contact, Create Special Connections with Others

Researchers may have pinpointed neurons responsible for that "special connection" feeling associated with first making eye contact

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Teenage Brains Are Like Soft, Impressionable Play-Doh

There's a softer side to adolescent minds: they're vulnerable, dynamic and highly responsive to positive feedback

The first shiny object found on Mars, thought to be plastic shed from Curiosity.

Either Curiosity Is Shedding Or Mars Is Covered in Weird Shiny Particles

After an unknown object turned out to be nothing but plastic, scientists were surprised to find more shiny things buried in the dirt

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What Makes Temple Grandin’s Brain Special?

Temple Grandin, perhaps the world's most famous person with autism, allowed scientists to peak into her exceptional brain for the first time in order to better understand the minds of savants

City Birds Are Evolving To Be More Flexible and Assertive Than Their Country Cousins

Animals are adapting to life in the big city

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Turning Iron Into Platinum: Easier—And More Useful—Than Turning Lead Into Gold

Chemical trickery causes iron to act like platinum

An iceberg floats off the coast of Greenland.

Melting Greenland Ice Has Consequences

Melting Greenland ice could affect ocean circulation patterns, and further spur global warming

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