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Top Nine Ocean Stories That Had Us Talking in 2015

From fossil whales to adorable octopuses, here are some of the marine headliners that caught our attention this year

The robotic arms move across the range, cooking and cleaning.

This Robot Will Make You Dinner

Moley Robotics is developing a robotic kitchen that can prepare a meal from start to finish—cleanup included

Metal microlattice

This Metal Is 99.9 Percent Air

A new metal “microlattice” is strong yet incredibly light, lending itself to a wide variety of aerospace, automotive and medical uses

Jon Lovitch stands in front of the 2013 incarnation of GingerBread Lane. The village becomes larger and more elaborate each year.

Behold: The World’s Largest (Three-Ton) Gingerbread Village

Experience the glory of GingerBread Lane

A female medium ground finch, one of at least 14 species of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Age of Humans

Charles Darwin’s Famous Finches Could Be Extinct in Half a Century

The finches on the Galapagos Islands are suffering from a parasitic fly introduced to the islands by humans

Dot is an affordable active Braille smartwatch.

A Smartwatch for the Visually Impaired

Developed by University of Washington students, Dot translates texts, tweets and e-books to Braille

Photos and Videos of the National Zoo’s Panda Cub Making a Visit to the Vet

A check-up reveals that Bei Bei is now a hefty, thriving 18 pounds

Smithsonite, or zinc spar, is a carbon zinc ore.This mineral was named in 1832 after English chemist and mineralogist James Smithson (founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution).

We Are Missing At Least 145 Carbon-Bearing Minerals, and You Can Help Find Them

The Carbon Mineral Challenge is asking rock enthusiasts around the world to hunt for the undiscovered forms of this common element

Tradition holds that this plow, held in the Smithsonian collections, is one of the first three plows that John Deere personally forged.

Age of Humans

Did John Deere’s Best Invention Spark a Revolution or an Environmental Disaster?

When Deere created his now-famous steel plow, he created America’s breadbasket and set the stage for many of modern farming’s environmental problems

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Everybody Loves Lists

The Best History Books of 2015

Beyond the boldface names are these chronicles from the past year that are well worth your time

Kids test out the new 1,700-square-foot Wegmans Wonderplace at the National Museum of American History.

How the Smithsonian Hopes to Turn Infants, Toddlers and Young Children Into Museumgoers

The National Museum of American History opens its new “Wonderplace,” a space for the youngest members of the family

A Stormtrooper Mask

Austria

These Are the “Star Wars” Exhibitions You Are Looking For

Grab your light saber and celebrate the art of the movie series at museums around the world

A cheetah stalks past a herd of giraffes in Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve.

Age of Humans

Humans Caused a Major Shift in Earth’s Ecosystems 6,000 Years Ago

We upended a pattern held for 300 million years, and that may mean we are causing a new phase in global evolution

Lush rainforest surrounds the Chagres River in Panama.

Age of Humans

Some Forests Have Outsized Impacts on Local Water

A comprehensive new report emphasizes the importance of upland forests for providing clean water, mitigating storms and reducing erosion

Teen Inventors Create Live Closed-Captioning Glasses for the Deaf

Seventeen-year-old Daniil Frants and his buddies hope to help the hard-of-hearing engage in naturally flowing conversations

High in the sky, aerosols from airplane exhaust become encased in ice and form the bright contrails seen in a plane’s wake.

Age of Humans

Airplane Contrails May Be Creating Accidental Geoengineering

Dissipating haze from plane exhaust alters how sunlight reaches the Earth and may be unintentionally affecting our climate

On December 17, pilgrims flood the streets of the Cuban town of Rincón, home to a leprosarium and a church dedicated to St. Lazarus.

Cuba’s Fascinating Babalú-Ayé Procession Honors African and Catholic Traditions

On December 17, Cubans perform a ritual pilgrimage for a powerful deity that can bring good health or can take it away

Aurora Borealis over Reykjavik, Iceland

Illegal in Iceland: Quirky Bans From the Land of Fire and Ice

From historical bans on Basques to modern-day naming restrictions, Iceland’s laws leave a lasting impression

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