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Articles

Siblings Could Shed Light on Roots of Autism

Most research has focused on studying two parents and two autistic children, but new research calls for learning more about siblings who don’t have autism

Muntanya de Sal

Catalonia

Step Inside This Glittering Mountain of Salt

Resembling an iceberg and formed millions of years ago, Muntanya de Sal is one of the world’s only salt mountains

The hand dryer-sized device can detect E. coli, salmonella, norovirus, hepatitis A, and listeria.

This Device Tracks How Well You Wash Your Hands

Biomedical engineers have developed a wall-mounted scanner that can detect microbes that cause foodborne illness

Here’s What We Know (and Don’t Know) About Flushing Contact Lenses Down the Drain

Though they are tiny, the lenses add up—and might be infiltrating the environment

Ben Kingsley stars as Adolf Eichmann in Operation Finale

Based on a True Story

The True Story of “Operation Finale”

Director Chris Weitz explores the 1960 hunt for Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in the new feature film

Bompas & Parr say the prototype pops last “hours longer” than regular popsicles under the same temperature.

Inventing a Longer-Lasting Popsicle

A British design firm has used a half-forgotten World War II technique to create ice pops that don’t melt as fast as the ordinary ones

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For Neil Simon, Laughter Was His Lifeline

The influential playwright defined American comedy for a generation of television, theater and movie audiences

This pipefish couple may seem the picture of romance, but the male may have something bigger and better in mind.

Pregnant Male Pipefish Are the Sea’s Swaggery Swingers

Male pipefish, which take on the burden of carrying eggs to term, can compromise their own pregnancies if they see a “huge, sexy female” swimming by

Salvador Dalí with his pet ocelot, Babou, and cane. 1965.

Catalonia

Travel Through the Landscapes That Inspired Salvador Dalí

Three destinations in northeastern Spain offer a unique glimpse into the life of the famous surrealist

Young birds that grew up with added urban background noise showed signs of faster aging than birds without.

Noise Pollution Might Cut Birds’ Lives Short

Stressed out teen birds have enough to deal with—noise seems to be one factor that could seal their fate

These wrinkly rodents continually surprise researchers.

How Eating Poop Makes These Mole-Rats More Motherly

New research suggests a colony’s queen stimulates babysitters by transferring a type of estrogen through her feces

The portrait John S. McCain III by Steve Pyke, 2005, went of view today at the National Portrait Gallery in memory of the U.S. Senator who died August 25.

The Portrait That Captures the Defining Features of John McCain’s Life and Career

A photograph of the straight-talking Arizona senator goes on view In Memoriam at the Portrait Gallery

The next generation of robotic hands will have to be extremely dexterous, but also simple to build. The three-fingered version designed by engineer Matei Ciocarlie can adapt to a wide array of objects, yet hold each of them in a firm grasp (composite image shows the more open hold on an apple and a tighter pinch on a marker). Its semi-soft fingers are controlled by a series of wire “tendons” that lead to a single motor in a robot’s wrist.

The Quest to Build Robotic Hands

Humans can readily manipulate all kinds of objects. But robots need better mechanics—and a lot more intelligence

Why Texas Just May Be the Best State for Fall Foliage

With its rolling prairies and limestone cliffs, historic towns and oak-filled nature parks, Texas Hill Country is a land apart

Sometimes, it's okay to skip leg day.

For Men, Gains in the Gym May Come at a Cost to Sperm

There might be a tradeoff between how strong men look and sperm count

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Smithsonian Voices

Biologists Say Chesapeake Bay Cownose Rays Travel to Florida and Back

While scientists have unraveled one mystery about cownose ray migrations, there are still many unknowns surrounding the animals. Read more: http://www.smi

How do animals think and feel?

Do Animals Experience Grief?

A growing body of evidence points to how animals are aware of death and will sometimes mourn for or ritualize their dead

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