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This dog loves the laser beam, but it might wind up making him crazy.

How LOLCats and Laser Pointers Are Bad for Our Pets

The things we do to animals for the LOLs might not be as innocuous as they seem

The Gabarnmung cave paintings lie in southwestern Arnhem Land, in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Is This the Oldest Cave Art on the Planet?

Underneath a rock slab which rests on dozens of narrow stilts researchers have found the world’s oldest stone axe, and a vast collection of painted artwork

The fountains of Enceladus as seen by Cassini

If Humans Are Ever Going to See Alien Life, Here’s Where It Will Happen

Scientists are all atwitter over Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons and one of the most likely places in our solar system to harbor life

Who will take more of these bad boys home with them, China or the United States?

How China Will Beat the US in Olympic Medals

How to tell which countries will take home more bling, and why weight lifting matters

Beautiful and educational, X-ray images help us learn more about evolution.

Events July 31-Aug 2: X-Ray Fish, Imperial India and Club Native

This week at the Smithsonian, the evolution of fish through X-Ray, India’s imperial arts and the divisive legacy of Native blood laws

The protests in Egypt fit right into the counterterrorism narrative.

The Message War

Counterterrorism strategy now includes everything from trolling on extremists’ websites to studying how the brain responds to storytelling

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A Brief History of Death By Subway in NYC

A few highlights of death on New York City’s subways over the years

Climate change could produce an ozone hole over the U.S. similar to the one observed over Antarctica, above, in 2006.

Climate Change Could Erode Ozone Layer Over U.S.

New findings indicate that effects of climate change could increase ozone depletion, UV exposure and skin cancer

New Retrofit Can Turn Any Car into A Hybrid

Shark Teeth Have Built-in Toothpaste

Sharks may have the healthiest teeth in the animal kingdom

A list of more great books to read while traveling

More Great Books and Where Best to Read Them

A continuation of last week’s list of the author’s favorite reads

A brown bear fishing salmon in Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska

Live Bear Cam Shows Hot Bear on Salmon Action

A live webcam let’s you watch Alaskan brown bears hunt salmon during the fishes’ annual migration

Older Termites Blow Themselves Up to Protect Their Colony

After a lifetime of servitude to the colony, older termites sacrifice the only thing they have left: their lives

A speculative restoration of the armored sauropod Agustinia

Armor for Sauropods

Will we ever find out what Augustinia looked like?

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Science Proves: Pop Music Has Actually Gotten Worse

Science confirms what you’ve always suspected: music these days is worse than it used to be

Can you tell what this man is feeling?

Old People Aren’t Hiding Their Emotions, You Just Can’t Read Them Through Their Wrinkles

Wrinkles make it difficult for younger people to read the facial expressions of those older than them

A clearly lit fridge is key for late night snacking. But what about the freezer?

Why Does the Refrigerator Have a Light and the Freezer Doesn’t?

One of life’s great mysteries finally solved. Or at least pondered

Dana Chladek competes in the Olympic Slalom Trials in 1992.

Dana Chladek’s Guide to Watching Canoe Slalom

The silver medalist explains the ins and outs of her sport

Anna Goodale (right) and Zsuzsanna Francia (left) compete in the women's pairs event at the FISA Rowing World Cup in Germany in 2008.

Anna Goodale’s Guide to Watching Rowing

The gold medalist shares her favorite Olympic moment, and explains the basics of her sport

Women’s Brains Age Faster than Men’s, Thanks to Stress

Research shows that despite the fact that women live longer on average, their brains age faster. Scientists are pointing to stress as the possible culprit.

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