Smart News: Latest Discoveries & News

The robot from Toshiba sporting two cameras

Cool Finds

This Scorpion-Shaped Robot Will Enter One of Fukushima’s Reactors

The nuclear power plant’s owners still don’t know exactly what is going on inside the three reactors that melted down

July 6, 2015

A scanning electron micrograph of Yersinia pestis bacteria

New Research

These Two Mutations Turned Not-so-Deadly Bacteria Into the Plague

The ancestor of the bacterium responsible for the Black Plague isn’t nearly as deadly

July 6, 2015

Benjamin Rush, prominent colonial physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, wrote a treatise on alcohol in 1784 that still influences how medicine views substance abuse today.

Cool Finds

Meet the Doctor Who Convinced America to Sober Up

Meet Benjamin Rush, father of the temperance movement, signer of the Declaration of Independence

July 6, 2015

A drone shot of the Harvest Dome 2.0, sinking over a sunken ship in Gowanus Canal

Urban Explorations

A Sculpture Meant to Celebrate the Renewal of the Gowanus Canal Just Got Caught on Trash and Sank

R.I.P. Harvest Dome 2.0

July 3, 2015

A portion of the Great Wall of China in a more rural area

Only a small fraction of the remaining wall is in good condition

July 3, 2015

Dante and Virgil encounter the counterfeiters and forgers, now changed to lepers and the insane for punishment

Cool Finds

One of the Earliest Feature Films Was This Italian Adaptation of Dante’s Inferno

It’s the earliest surviving complete feature-length film, made in 1911

July 3, 2015

New Research

Almost Half of Black and Latina Scientists Report They’ve Been Mistaken for Administrative Assistants or Janitors

Women of color in science are more likely to experience some forms of bias

July 3, 2015

Is air in the country healthier than air in the city? One scientist has a theory as to why that's the case, and it's got nothing to do with pollution.

Cool Finds

Is Country Air Really Better Than City Air?

One scientist thinks it’s because of toxic plant chemicals

July 2, 2015

Gallons of urine will be used to fertilize barley for future festivalgoers

July 2, 2015

Recent losses have left other SpaceX customers in limbo

July 2, 2015

New Research

Smelling a Fish May Improve Critical Thinking Skills

New research shows that gross smells can foster a healthy sense of distrust

July 2, 2015

A new campaign encourages fireworks enthusiasts to be courteous with their explosions this 4th of July.

For Veterans’ Sake, Make A Little Less Noise With Your 4th of July Fireworks

Fireworks can trigger PTSD in some veterans, and one organization is trying to raise awareness

July 2, 2015

An artist’s illustration of the Prandtl-m flying above the surface of Mars

Cool Finds

This Boomerang-Shaped Aircraft Could be the First to Fly on Mars

The lightweight glider would search for potential landing spots to be used by a future manned mission to Mars

July 2, 2015

An active basalt lava flow in the wild (from a volcano, not from the lab)

Cool Finds

To Better Understand Lava, an Artist and Scientist Make Their Own

A lab at Syracuse University creates melts basaltic rock in a modified furnace

July 2, 2015

A collection of fish teeth and shark scales from the Early Cenozoic period.

New Research

After the Dinosaurs Died, Earth Experienced the Age of Fish

The fossil record shows how ray-finned fishes took over the planet’s oceans

July 2, 2015

NASA is starting to brainstorm where humans should land on Mars.

Cool Finds

Where Should Humans Land on Mars? NASA Wants to Hear Your Suggestions

In October, the agency will hear proposals on where to put a Mars base

July 2, 2015

Cool Finds

In the Future, Grocery Stores May be More Like ATMs

Robots and motion detection expand the idea of what it means to shop

July 1, 2015

The Jazz pattern that graced paper cups, like this one in the 1990s, remains a source of fascination in pop culture.

Cool Finds

How the Internet Tracked Down the Designer of the Beloved Jazz Paper Cup

Meet Gina, the woman behind the iconic paper cup pattern

July 1, 2015

New Research

How Many Craters Are There On Earth?

Not as many as you might think

June 30, 2015

Cool Finds

This Beautiful Valley in Turkey is Home to 100 Species of Butterflies

The valley’s remote location keeps the butterflies happy and thriving

June 30, 2015