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Smart News

Ten Years Ago, 50 Million People Lost Power

Ten years later people are remembering, energy companies are trying to get better, but the grid is the same

Inability to Recognize Emperor Hirohito Actually Not a Sign of Impending Dementia

Researchers realized a change needed to be made after administering the test to people suffering from primary-progressive aphasia, which strikes the young

An emergency call center

911 Won’t Always Know Your Location If You Call From a Cell Phone

Among the networks, AT&T and T-Mobile seem to be the biggest culprits at leaving out pertinent location information when customers make emergency calls

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These Scientists Just Spent Four Months Pretending They Were on Mars

And they ate a lot of Spam

New school lunch programs are one of the ways people are trying to fight childhood obesity.

Childhood Obesity in the United States Is Decreasing

For the first time in years, the proportion of children who could be classified as obese decreased

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Scientists Attempt to Replace Human Taste Testers With Test Tubes

If everybody tasted differently, can you actually objectively evaluate how food tastes?

Four angles on the same preserved lissoir.

Neanderthals Made Specialized Bone Tools And May Even Have Taught Humans How

Specialized tools found in Europe could mean that Neanderthals taught humans a few tricks

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One Physicist Thinks the Universe Is Not Expanding—And He Might Not Be Crazy

Christof Wetterich can also explain the “red shift” that supports the idea of the Big Bang

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How Big of a Spot Can You Claim on the Beach?

Additionally, men take up more space than women, and larger groups of people tend to take up less space per person by crowding together

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Who Are the 2.8 Million Non-Hispanic Americans Who Speak Spanish at Home?

There are 37.6 million Americans who speak Spanish at home, but only 34.8 million self-identify as Hispanic

America Bet 500 Million Tiny Copper Space Wires Would Help Beat the Soviets

During the Cold War, filling space with tiny copper bits didn’t seem like such a bad idea

In Venezuela, Human Hair Is Hot on the Black Market

The thieves—both men and women—grab their long-haired victim or hold her at gun or knife point, then cut her hair off at the base of the pony tail

Messiah’s birth certificate (not pictured) will have to be updated if the judge gets her way.

Judge Decides Only One Person Can Be Named ‘Messiah,’ and It’s Not This Baby in Tennessee

The baby’s mother plans to appeal the decision

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People Feel Sorrier for Battered Puppies Than Adult Humans

Adult victims ranked last because they’re seen as being “capable of protecting themselves while full grown dogs are just seen as larger puppies”

An ornamental copy of the Declaration of Independence

America’s Founders Were Scarily Young on July 4, 1776

How old were famous Revolutionary War figures on July 4, 1776?

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This Underwater Expedition Is the Only Live Stream You Need to Watch Today

Right now, the Okeanos Explorer has a rover in the water about 600 meters below the ocean. You can join it by watching this live stream

Autism Is Likely Under-Diagnosed in Women Due to Gender Bias

Autism has long been a disorder more commonly seen in men. But new research suggests that perhaps doctors are simply missing the signs of autism in women

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The Only Copy of Orson Welles’ First Professional Film Didn’t Burn in a Fire After All

The only copy of the Citizen Kane director’s first professional movie was found in a warehouse

Artificial Hymens Have Come a Long Way Since Blood-Filled Fish Bladders

There are tests of a woman’s virginity, many centered around the blood involved in breaking her hymen. To pass this test, some women turned to fakery

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This Is What Happens to a Pineapple Over Two Months

Let this be a reminder not to leave food out on the counter for two months. Unless it’s a McDonald’s meal, in which case it will probably be just fine

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