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Articles

Some Kids Outgrow Their Synesthesia

It might be possible to be synesthetic as a kid, but then grow out of it

Women Can Act Aggressively, Too

Competition goes beyond feeling threatened by another woman’s looks and encompasses judgements about behaviors, too

This Camera Ball Creates a Panoramic Image When You Throw It in the Air

It’s unclear whether a $600 ball camera can be competitive in a market where most smart phones now have a “panoramic” function. But it is still nifty

Despite warming temperatures, the sea ice around Antarctica is increasing in extent.

Why Is Antarctica’s Sea Ice Growing As Temperatures Rise?

New research shows that the explanation for the counterintuitive growth of sea ice near the South Pole can be found blowing in the wind

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The 2013 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards Liveblog

Follow along as we celebrate the best in innovation

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Hear, For the First Time, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Curious “Viola Organista”

Based on da Vinci’s designs, a modern instrument maker built a viola organista

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This New Plane Seat Morphs to Make You and Your Seatmate More Comfortable

Shape-shifting seats with adjustable widths promise more choice for passengers, but aren’t they really a sneaky way to discriminate?

Is Vodka Gluten Free?

The search for gluten free alcohol can be tricky - and now a debate over spirits labeling might make it even trickier

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill by Yousuf Karsh, 1941

The Day Winston Churchill Lost His Cigar

Thanks to a gift of over 100 photographs, the National Portrait Gallery celebrates Yousuf Karsh’s iconic photography with an installation of 27 portraits

Reptiles Are Really Intelligent; We Were Just Giving Them the Wrong Tests

Now that scientists are coming up with new experiments and methods, they’re realizing that there’s a lot more to the reptile brain than they once thought

Today Is World Toilet Day, Celebrate Accordingly

Celebrate by appreciating your fancy toilet and considering those who live without one

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation in extreme detail. Above: Tears of timeless reunion

Art Meets Science

The Microscopic Structures of Dried Human Tears

Photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher captures tears of grief, joy, laughter and irritation in extreme detail

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Egyptians Mummified The Beef Ribs And Sliced Goat Meat They Sent on With Their Rulers to the Afterlife

They basted the meat in fat and resin in order to preserve it forever.

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From Colonel Sanders to Grace Kelly: Iconic American Portraits by Yousuf Karsh

The National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition on Yousuf Karsh will display a rotating selection of Karsh portraits until November 4, 2014

People Can Now Simultaneously Watch Different Shows on the Same TV

OLED technology allows up to 10 people to watch different shows on the same TV set

One of the computer-generated creations, an Ecuadorian strawberry dessert.

A Computer Can Design an Original Recipe That’s Not Totally Disgusting

Both pro and at-home chefs may someday turn to algorithms for inspiration

There Are People Who Wrestle Bears, And They Say the Bears Could Win If They Wanted To

We’ve been over what to do if you’re faced with a bear. But there are people who invite destruction into their lives and intentionally fight bears

When neurons misfire: Those who can remember what they ate for lunch on a day ten years ago can be fooled by tests that distort memories.

Even People With “Perfect Memory” Can Be Tricked Into Recalling Fake Events

Those who can remember what they ate on a day ten years ago can be fooled by tests that distort memories

Alberta’s Oil Sands Account for 9 Percent of Canada’s Carbon Dioxide Emissions

The oil sands are a bigger source of greenhouse gases than all of Canada’s agriculture or manufacturing

An editorial that critiqued Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address as “silly remarks.”

My Great-Great-Grandfather Hated the Gettysburg Address. Now He’s Famous For It

It’s hard to imagine anyone could pan Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, but one cantankerous reporter did just that

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