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A black mamba strikes

Black Mamba Venom Beats Morphine as a Painkiller

Black mambas’ toxicity turns out to have applications other than rodent-killing

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Predictions From The Father of Science Fiction

Hugo Gernsback’s predictions give us a look at the most radical of technological utopianism from the 1920s

A headless Haplocanthosaurus, laid out at the Utah Field House of Natural History.

Haplocanthosaurus–A Morrison Mystery

Without a skull, determining the dinosaur’s relationships is difficult

Tungsten carbide drill bits will grind through miles of ultra-hard igneous seafloor rock in hopes of reaching the mantle.

New Project Aims to Drill to the Earth’s Mantle, 3.7 Miles Down

Scientists aim to reach the mantle and bring back rock samples for the first time in human history

Mrs. Judo tells the story of the living legend, Keiko Fukuda.

Events October 5-7: Mrs. Judo, Staring at the Sun and Chamber Society Music

This weekend, a 99-year old judo legend, a scientist who studies the sun and a season-opener with the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.

Skull fragments from a 2-year-old child (exterior view, top left; interior view, top right) that died 1.5 million years ago contain evidence of anemia. The blood disorder can lead to very porous bone (bottom left, right).

Fossils Reveal Earliest Known Case of Anemia in Hominids

2-year-old child that lived 1.5 million years ago suffered from the blood disorder, which may suggest that hominids by this time were regularly eating meat

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Revisiting Epcot Center on its 30th Birthday

Has the Disney theme park outlived its purpose as a monument to science and technology?

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The Trail Continues!

Here are a few (non-spoiler!) answers to questions we’ve received from a bunch of solvers

Amazing Photographs of Water Droplets Colliding

See the results of 98-year-old Irving Olson’s kitchen experiments

Thomas the T. rex, a lovely reconstruction at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.

Long Live the King

Paleontologists have named scores of dinosaurs, but why is T. rex our favorite?

Plastic debris and particles are now turning up in the ocean waters surrounding Antarctica.

High Levels of Plastic and Debris Found in Waters off of Antarctica

In the world’s most remote ocean waters, researchers discovered unexpectedly high levels of plastic pollution

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Snakes: The Good, the Bad and the Deadly

With venom so potent it can kill a person in 30 minutes, the black mamba is a snake to avoid—while others are worth learning about before you cast judgment

Part of an ongoing project, the artist added bright, industrial paint to vases from the Han Dynasty. “Colored Vases” 2007-2010.

Ai Weiwei Takes Over the Smithsonian: “According to What?” Opens at the Hirshhorn

The museum hosts the U.S. premier of a blockbuster show from the controversial artist

Are These Two Toes the World’s First Prostheses?

This is probably the world’s first prosthetic—a wooden toe that dates back to before 600 BC

The Black Sapote fruit develops a distinct “chocolate pudding” flavor after it has softened on the ground for a week or two.

All the Insane Australian Fruit You Can Eat

What the heck are black sapotes, carambolas and pomelo fruits?

Maria Snyder, Italian Vanity, Versace, 1983

Antonio’s World: The Life and Work of a Celebrated Fashion Illustrator

Antonio Lopez’s electrifying art defined the style of the times, 1960s-‘80s. Now, a gallery show and book call renewed attention to his accomplishments

Dilophosaurus, in a restoration based on an impression found at St. George, Utah. Art by Heather Kyoht Luterman

Dilophosaurus – An Early Jurassic Icon

Tracks made by a 20-foot predatory dinosaur have been found in rock from Connecticut to Arizona, but who made the tracks?

As part of the Pacific Centennial Oscillation pattern, ocean waters in certain areas become warmer and cooler as part of a century-long cycle. Red indicates warmer water; blue shows cooler.

New Climate-Shifting Pattern: Is PCO the Next El Niño?

Computer simulations indicate that ocean temperatures and weather patterns might vary on a 100-year-long cycle called PCO

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Recapping “The Jetsons”: Episode 02 – A Date With Jet Screamer

The Jetson family’s descent into sex, drugs and rock & roll

A chronology of NFL helmets

Leatherhead to Radio-Head: The Evolution of the Football Helmet

From hand-cobbled beginnings, the football helmet has shifted to become one of the most highly designed pieces of equipment in all of sports

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