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Articles

More than half of the drivers queried in a 2014 insurance industry survey said their cars had been damaged by potholes.

The War on Potholes Has a New Weapon

Researchers at Northeastern University have outfitted a van with sensors, microphones and cameras that can spot the early stages of potholes

Best Space Photos of the Week

A Rocket Blessing and a Cubist Planet Are Among These Celestial Sights

Russia sends off the one-year crew and a Saturn probe gets artistic in our picks for this week’s best space-related pictures

Using millions of images and machine learning, Orbital Insight is able to estimate global oil surplus, weeks ahead of traditional estimates, by analyzing the shadows on the floating lids of oil tanks.

A Startup Wants to Track Everything From Shoppers to Corn Yields Using Satellite Imagery

Orbital Insight, founded by a NASA and Google veteran, is quick to predict crop failures and estimate the current global oil surplus

This structure serves as everything from a climbing wall to a bench to a meditation space.

This Week in Crowdfunding

A Bus Stop Climbing Wall and Other Wild Ideas That Just Got Funded

Unbreakable shoelaces? They come in stylish colors and patterns

Actor Jon Hamm sporting the iconic fedora and gray suit of his alter ego, Don Draper, from the popular television show "Mad Men." Draper's suit and fedora, along with Betty Francis' yellow housedress and other props were donated to the Smithsonian.

Don Draper’s Gray Suit and Fedora Are Among “Mad Men Props” Donated to the Smithsonian

Members of the television show’s stellar cast, along with director Matthew Weiner, dropped off some significant “Mad Men” swag

A digital scan of a human kidney and pelvis.

Medical Holograms Are Now Part of the Surgeon’s Toolkit

Technology hitting the market will help doctors examine heart conditions or check for colon cancer without breaking the skin

The as-yet-unnamed new volcanic island in Tonga, explored by GP Orbassano.

What’s It Like to Take the First Photos of a New Volcanic Island?

Meet the man who climbed to the top and took these stunning shots

Palazzo Italia

Smog-Eating Buildings Battle Air Pollution

Sunlight triggers chemical reactions in the façades of buildings in Mexico City and Milan to improve air quality

A Cape fur seal digs in to a blue shark.

Fur Seals Caught Preying on Sharks Off South Africa

The seals only consume the viscera, though, which may be why this particular type of predation took ecologists by surprise

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Document Deep Dive

This Chart From 1790 Lays Out the Many Dangers of Alcoholism

Founding father Benjamin Rush was greatly concerned with the amount of booze imbibed in post-Revolution America

A Malaysian boy and girl holding candles during the 60 minute Earth Hour 2012 celebration in Kuala Lumpur, March 31, 2012.

Anthropocene

What Climate Change Will Mean for the People of Oceania

On many maps the ocean is colored a uniform, solid blue. But for those who live off the waters, the sea is places, roads, highways

A type of coral trout called the leopard trout (Plectropomus leopardus) swims on the Great Barrier Reef.

Anthropocene

Fishing Bans Create a Glimmer of Hope on the Great Barrier Reef

No-take reserves have helped commercially important species bounce back, but the reef still faces some serious threats

"Boogie Down" at the White House, Big D & Mingering, 1975

Journey to Mingering Mike’s Magical, Musical World

A new exhibition features the playful LP album covers of a man who built a make-believe musical empire filled with genius and joy

Journalists walk along the new Caminito del Rey in El Chorro-Alora, March 15, 2015.

“The World’s Most Dangerous Trail” Reopens This Week

A once-deadly path is now a modern tourist attraction

Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Love Junk Food So Much?

The jury is still out, but some are suggesting that sodas, chips and fries trick the brain into thinking no calories were consumed

Unfortunately, you can't have your ballot delivered by barn owl.

Cast Your Vote for Britain’s National Bird

An online campaign is asking the public to choose from a list of ten finalists whittled down by birders and conservationists

Urban Explorations

Eight Modern Speakeasies With Real Roots in the 1920s

These speakeasies across the United States do justice to the Jazz Age

The highest summit of the Jade Dragon (Yulong Xueshan) from what in 1985 was close to the center of the old town of Lijiang, China.

Anthropocene

Why the World Needs to Go to Great Heights to Save Mountain Habitats

After 30 years working in mountain regions, Jack Ives argues that the world’s elevated habitats are essential

The patient, in a rare moment of calm.

Cats Get Breast Cancer Too, and There’s a Lot We Can Learn From It

Understanding aggressive tumors in pets may lead to better treatments for the nastiest forms of the disease in people

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