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Articles

For Coal Miners, Back to Black Lungs

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Teach Yourself to Be Synesthetic: Hear Colors, See Sounds

A new study suggests that people may be able to teach themselves to have synesthetic experiences

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Sitting Just Three Hours a Day Can Take Two Years Off Your Life

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The Battle in Our Backyard: Remembering Fort Stevens

Historian David C. Ward recounts the short but unprecedented Civil War attack on Washington, D.C. at the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11, 1864

The crustacean Gnathia marleyi, named after singer Bob Marley.

Blood-Eating Parasite Named for Late Reggae Artist Bob Marley

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Will We Ever Find All the Dinosaurs?

There are probably hundreds of dinosaurs that paleontologists have yet to discover, but will we ever find all the dinosaurs?

Climate Change Will Mean the World Eats Rice

The future under climate change indicates that rice will become an even more abundant staple, thanks to a boost in carbon dioxide that make crops thrive

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Smithsonian Gets Google Mapped

Smithsonian and Google Maps launched an easy to use application Tuesday providing step by step directions inside 17 museums and the National Zoo

The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side of New York

A Short Walking Tour of New York’s Lower East Side

Known as Klein Deutschland circa the 1860’s, the Lower East Side had the 5th largest German-speaking population among cities in the world at the time

King penguins are the second largest species of penguin

King Penguins Stressed Out By Scientists And Tourists

The king penguins appear to be habituated to the presence of humans, but a new study finds that even limited human contact may be negatively affecting them

Visitors from Mars Day 2008 get a 3-D look at the surface of Mars.

Mars Day Preview with Geologist Dr. John Grant

Get ready for Air and Space Museum’s Mars Day July 13 with geologist Dr. John Grant discussing findings, The Martian Chronicles and why he loves Mars Day

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People Are More Rational When Speaking in a Foreign Language

A backup duplicate of the original Telstar satellite, housed in storage at the National Air and Space Museum

Fifty Years Ago Today, the First Communications Satellite Was Launched Into Space

On this date in 1962, Telstar was launched, ushering in a new era of communications technology

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Baseball Played Near The Speed of Light: An Apocalyptic Vision

An American flag waving in Andover, Maine. This was the first video ever transmitted by commercial satellite.

Fifty Years Ago, Lyndon Johnson Answered the First Satellite Phone Call

Telstar 1, which launched 50 years ago today, was the world’s first commercial satellite, and a testament to government-industry cooperation

Figs are a great prize of roadside foragers—a fruit unwanted by many landowners and as available as it is delicious. The green figs shown here are desert kings, a variety that produces a large first crop in July.

Hungry? Pull Over. Here’s Your Guide to the Best Bets of Roadside Foraging

All along the roadways of America—and the world—there’s figs, avocados and wild berries ripe for the picking

A rigorous experiment lent truth to the idea that hot drinks can help the body stay cool.

A Hot Drink on a Hot Day Can Cool You Down

A rigorous experiment revealed that on a hot, dry day, drinking a hot beverage can help your body stay cool

Countess Markievicz in uniform with a gun, circa 1915

Daughters of Wealth, Sisters in Revolt

Gore-Booth sisters, Constance and Eva, forsook their places amid Ireland’s Protestant gentry to fight for the rights of the disenfranchised and the poor

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Why Store-Bought Popsicles Drip Less

Just in time for another scorching July day, the history of the modern popsicle - and why the store-bought ones are less drippy than the DIY kind

1954 Aerocar listed for sale by Greg Herrick in Minneapolis

1954 Flying Car for Sale

A bargain for just $1.25 million. But, you’ll need both aviation and auto insurance

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