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Remnants of 3.5 Billion-Year-Old Bacteria May Be the Oldest Evidence of Life on Earth

The microbial sediment layers outdate previous evidence of life around 300 million years

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Rethinking the Paleo Diet: Would You Eat the Contents of a Deer’s Stomach?

Animal stomachs for everybody!

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This Floating Marine Laboratory Aims to Make Ocean Exploration Cool Again

The SeaOrbiter’s primary purpose is for marine research, but it also aims to inspire

Franz Marc’s Horses in a Landscape was one of the recovered pieces of art.

A Trove of Art, Recovered Decades After Nazis Stole It, Is Going On Virtual Display

After more than 70 years, these great works of art are starting to go online

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The Current Outbreak of a Dolphin-Killing Virus Is the Deadliest in History

Based on past disease events, researchers estimate that this current cycle of the outbreak is likely only at the half way point

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Watch: The World’s 3D Experts Converge at the Smithsonian X 3D Conference

At the Smithsonian X 3D Conference, pioneers in 3D scanning and printing technology discuss how digitization will shape the future of the Smithsonian

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These New 3D Models Put the Smithsonian’s Most Renowned Items in Your Hands

Models of the Wright Flyer, the Wooly Mammoth and 19 other items are available in a new web-based viewer and printable in 3D

On February 15, 1958, Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, producer Mike Todd, board his private plane named "The Liz," which crashed a month later killing Todd and two others.

10 Lucky Celebrities Who Escaped Disaster

Most of the time it’s the disasters that are famous—but sometimes, famous people escape disasters instead

A friendly garter snake

Mating Snakes Engage in a Literal Battle of the Sexes

Male and female red-sided garter snakes have antagonistic genitals, evolved to further the interests of their respective gender

CT scans (left) and photos (right) of the skull

This Fossil Skull Unearthed in Tibet Is the Oldest Big Cat Ever Found

The fossil belongs to a newly discovered species called Panthera blytheae and is between four and five million years old

A páramo ecosystem in the Andes.

This Spot in the Andes May Be the Fastest-Evolving Place on Earth

Like isolated islands, evolution in these mountainous, unique environments seems to be ticking away at a faster beat than run-of-the-mill habitats

The Price of a Starbucks Coffee Has Nothing To Do With the Price of Coffee Beans

Despite the dropping price of coffee don’t expect your Starbucks receipt to get any lighter

Before the World Cup, Brazilians Are Trying to Learn English

Brazilians have 211 days left to prepare for the World Cup one of the things many of them are doing to get ready is to try and learn English

Moscow Will Give You a Free Subway Ticket If You Do 30 Squats

The Moscow subway system will now reward riders with a free trip in exchange for 30 squats

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This Scientist Let a Flea Live Inside Her In Order to Study It

To what lengths would you go for science?

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Sleep Experts Have No Idea What the Most Common Nightmare Is

Past studies only represented a specific group and method of studying nightmares, and all came up with variable top results

This Clever Combination Lock Protects Your Bike’s Parts From Crooks

A German startup has developed the Sphyke C3N to secure your bicycle bits without you having to carry a key

Washington Monument Scaffolding Is Coming Down Today

Two years later, the scaffolding around the Washington Monument is ready to come down

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This Antique Polar Bear Robot Blows Bubbles

It turns out that even early robot makers were all about the polar bear

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Welcome to the World’s Only Museum Devoted to Penises

In Iceland, a man has collected 283 preserved penises from 93 species of animals—including Homo sapiens

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