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Freezing fog is reflected in great patterns on this Kaibab Limestone at the Grand Canyon.

This Awesome Atmospheric Anomaly Filled the Grand Canyon With Fog

Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in recent days were treated to a special sight as a rare atmospheric behavior filled the canyon

(A to L) 3D estimates of front views and lateral views rendered as point clouds overlaid with reflectivity data.

This Camera Capture Images in the Dark, Using Just a Few Particles of Light

The most obvious application for this camera is for spying and surveillance, but it may also be used for remote sensing or to study microscopic structures

Home deliveries are just one potential use of personal drones.

When Drones Get Personal

So we’ve seen how a drone can deliver a package, but can one become a buddy with a camera?

Dazzle camouflage distorts perception by pairing contrasting patterns.

Predators May Use a Bit of the Old Razzle Dazzle to Snag Prey

The bright colors and harsh angles of dazzle camouflage confounds locusts, suggesting that predators who sport the abstract patterns can hunt more easily

Silkworm pancakes. Yum!

Insect Farming Kit Lets You Raise Edible Bugs

The Tiny Farms setup comes with everything to cultivate one of the world’s most sustainable (and popular) sources of food

Baby Mice Can Inherit Fear of Certain Smells From Their Parents

But researchers are far from pinning down the mechanism by which this may be possible, or what specific roles epigenetics plays in human disease

Smaller Hands Need Smarter Designs for Smart Phones

No more thumb cramps or having to use your other fingers to press buttons!

No no no, Guurr, put the mammoth tusk over there, it helps balance the energy.

Neanderthals May Have Practiced the Ancient Art of Interior Design

Excavations showed that Neanderthals may have designed their homes with purpose

Image: William Zeitler

Benjamin Franklin Invented a Glass Harp

Here you can hear a man play the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies on the armonica - which looks a lot like a man massaging a stack of plastic cups

A friendly label, instead of a threatening warning, might cut down on the vandalization and theft of scientific instruments.

How Do You Protect Scientific Equipment From Vandals? With A Friendly Warning

A friendly label, instead of a threatening warning, might cut down on the vandalization and theft of scientific instruments

Eligible bachelors

Your Online Dating Profile Picture Should Be With Other People

Skip the shirtless bathroom selfie and go with a group shot for your next online dating profile

Koala

Why Koalas’ Mating Bellows Sound More Like a Choking Tiger, Less Like a Small, Cuddly Herbivore

Koalas use a special pair of “fleshy lips” located outside of their larynx to produce these deep grunts

Which Is the Most Lucrative “12 Days of Christmas” Career?

Of the iconic Christmas gifts, which would give you the best career prospects?

Dr. Shivi Drori tests a sample of wine from Gvaot Boutique Winery.

The Best Kosher Wine in Israel May or May Not Be From Israel

Settlers in the West Bank have no qualms about bringing Israeli-Palestinian politics into their vineyard; they encourage it

Baikal Ice

Siberian Musicians Used the Frozen Surface of the World’s Largest Lake as a Drum

Siberians by chance discovered that Lake Baikal’s frozen waves created an unexpectedly bright sound when one of them fell and thunked the ice with her hand

Future of Energy

A Potato Battery Can Light Up a Room For Over a Month

A crop-based power system coming out of Israel is significantly cheaper than batteries, but why isn’t anyone interested?

A row of servers, housed in an Iceland data center.

Is the Future of the Internet in Iceland?

With free air cooling and 100 percent renewable electricity, does it make sense to outsource our data to Iceland?

Pregnant Silhouette

Can Babies Be Born Addicted to Junk Food?

The tastes you grew up with, tend to stick with you

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Where Do Humans Really Rank on the Food Chain?

We’re not at the top, but towards the middle, at a level similar to pigs and anchovies

Cats Recognize Their Owner’s Voice But Choose to Ignore It

Researchers think cats’ dismissive attitudes are a product of their evolutionary history over the past 9,000 years

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