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Rubble from the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake.

Italian Scientists Sent to Jail Because They Downplayed the Risk of an Earthquake

Six scientists and one former government official will do time for failing to accurately convey the risk of an earthquake

In 2012 Election, Gender Gap Is As Wide As It’s Ever Been

Men and women haven’t agreed in three elections: 1996, 2000 and 2004

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Two Pillars of Skepticism—Leon Jaroff and Paul Kurtz—Died This Weekend

Leon Jaroff and Paul Kurtz both died this weekend. Together, the two men represent some of the founding ideas of the modern skeptic community

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This Robot Dances Gangnam Style Better Than You

Charli, already a renowned soccer player, is now a slick dancer

Meet the idea killers.

Don’t Waste Your Best Ideas on Focus Groups

The best ideas would do terribly in focus groups, says designer Gianfranco Zaccai, because people don’t know that they’re going to like new things

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People Leave Hospitals Unhappy Because Doctors Are Mean

Many patients leave the emergency room unhappy because they feel belittled or ignored

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No Life Found In Lakes Beneath Antarctic Glaciers—Yet

Scientists hoping to find life beneath Antarctic ice have so far come up empty-handed

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This is What a Viral Image Spread Looks Like

Much like the fungus of the internet, viral images and posts spread and creep across all social media platforms

Indiana Jones Cat doesn’t mind snakes so much.

Men Chasing Cat Stumble Upon 2,000-Year-Old Roman Treasures

A 2,000-year old burial chamber was discovered with the help of a cat

The giant, newly discovered harvestman from Laos.

Giant, Foot-long Daddy Longlegs Discovered in Cave

A huge, 13-inch long harvestman - better known as a daddy longlegs - turned up in Laos

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1950s Game Show Guest Had a Secret: He Saw Lincoln’s Assassination

A 5-year old Samuel J. Seymour saw Lincoln’s assassination, lived to talk about it on a 1956 game show

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Dolphins Sleep With Only Half Their Brain at a Time

Dolphins sleep with only half of their brains at a time, bestowing them with the uncanny ability to stay constantly alert for at least 15 days in a row

Scavenging crow

Brain-Eating Crows May Help Spread Prion Diseases

Prions - the infectious proteins that cause illnesses in humans and other animals such as mad cow disease - can pass through the digestive systems of crows

Ominous, right?

Germophobes Take Note: Your Pillowcase Is As Dirty As Your Toilet

Bacterial swabs from toilet seats and pillowcases are pretty much indistinguishable

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Today, 14 Million People Are Going to Have an Earthquake Drill

“Duck, cover, and hold on” is the best way to get through an earthquake

‘Eye Cells’ Hone in on Eye Contact, Create Special Connections with Others

Researchers may have pinpointed neurons responsible for that “special connection” feeling associated with first making eye contact

161 Years Ago Today Ahab First Battled the White Whale, and Critics Hated It

Today marks the 161st anniversary of Moby Dick, the epic seafaring tale by Herman Melville, and Google is celebrating with its own Doodle

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Teenage Brains Are Like Soft, Impressionable Play-Doh

There’s a softer side to adolescent minds: they’re vulnerable, dynamic and highly responsive to positive feedback

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This Feeder Doubles as a Photo Booth for Birds

A bird feeder with a built-in camera housing could economize wildlife photography

The first shiny object found on Mars, thought to be plastic shed from Curiosity.

Either Curiosity Is Shedding Or Mars Is Covered in Weird Shiny Particles

After an unknown object turned out to be nothing but plastic, scientists were surprised to find more shiny things buried in the dirt

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