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The Best Inventions of 2012 You Haven’t Heard of Yet (Part 2)

Here’s the second half of a list of innovations that, while not as splashy as Google Glass, may actually become a bigger part of our daily lives.

A new study indicates that marijuana isn’t a painkiller, but a pain distracter: Under the influence of THC, the same levels of pain are simply less bothersome.

Marijuana Isn’t a Pain Killer—It’s a Pain Distracter

A new study finds that under the influence of marijuana, the same levels of pain are simply less bothersome

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Slice of Life: Artistic Cross Sections of the Human Body

Artist Lisa Nilsson creates elaborate anatomical illustrations from thin strips of paper

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Where’s Rudolph? Inside the Decline of Alaska’s Caribou

The antlered herd’s population is declining – what’s going on in the Alaskan wilderness?

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The Sustainable Meat of the Future: Mealworms?

Mealworms might seem unpalatable to many, but a new study indicates that they might be the climate-friendly protein alternative of the future

A replica of Piltdown Man

How to Solve Human Evolution’s Greatest Hoax

The “discovery” turned out to be the biggest hoax in the history of paleoanthropology

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The Ten Best Ocean Stories of 2012

From deep-sea squid habits to vanishing coral reefs, here are the ocean stories we couldn’t stop talking about this year.

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Nimbus Clouds: Mysterious, Ephemeral and Now Indoors

Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde has found a way to create clouds in gallery spaces. In the seconds before they dissipate, he captures beautiful photographs

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The Scientific Reason Why Reindeer Have Red Noses

Some reindeer really do have red noses, a result of densely packed blood vessels near the skin’s surface

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The Best Inventions of 2012 You Haven’t Heard of Yet (Part 1)

They haven’t received much attention yet, but here are some of the more innovative—and useful—ideas that have popped up this year.

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Tree Climbers, Wood Eaters, and More: The Top 10 Human Evolution Discoveries of 2012

This year’s hominid finds illuminate the great diversity and adaptability of our ancient relatives

Without cutting emissions by 2020, avoiding catastrophic levels of global warming, including ice melt and sea level rise, will be extremely unlikely.

Climate Change Tipping Point: Research Shows That Emission Reductions Must Occur by 2020

A new report indicates that we have roughly 8 years to cut fossil fuel use without risking catastrophic levels of warming

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The Christmas Tree Worm, Decorating Coral Reefs Year-Round

The oceans show holiday spirit with a worm on coral reefs that resembles a fluffy fir tree adorned with colored ornaments.

A graphic data readout of the a collision of two protons, briefly producing a Higgs Boson, from the Large Hadron Collider.

Mythical Particles, Goldilocks Planets and More: Top 5 Surprising Scientific Milestones of 2012

From the Higgs Boson to the Curiosity rover, 2012 was a major year for science

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The Most Exciting (and Frustrating) Stories From This Year in Dinosaurs

From feathers to black market fossil controversies, 2012 was a big year for dinosaurs

Meet Spaun, a computer model that mimics brain behavior.

A More Human Artificial Brain

Canadian researchers have created a computer model that performs tasks like a human brain. It also sometimes forgets things

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The Persistence of Memory in Mice

A new study shows that female mice who smell pheromones in potential mates’ urine will constantly return to the site of exposure even weeks later

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From Golf Courses to Petting Zoos, Dinosaurs Get in the Way

Recently unveiled dinosaur sculptures are frustrating eyesores to some and tourist attractions to others

New evidence indicates cheese was invented as far back as 5000 BCE, although ancient cheeses wouldn’t have been as varied or refined as the cheeses we have today.

New Discovery of 7000-Year-Old Cheese Puts Your Trader Joe’s Aged Gouda to Shame

Previously traced to ancient Egypt, prehistoric pottery indicates that cheese was invented thousands of years earlier

12/12/12 and the Myriad of Number Patterns in Dates

Seen from a mathematical perspective, today’s date—12/12/12—is more than a coveted wedding anniversary

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