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This Christmas Tune Was Written By An Astronaut And Recorded in Space

Listen to the first song written specifically to be performed in space

Barrels of fuel encased in snow at the Lake Ellsworth drilling site.

Antarctica’s Subglacial Lake Ellsworth Will Keep Its Secrets For Now

After a decade of planning, and two weeks in the field, the Lake Ellsworth drilling program was cancelled for the year

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Some of the Geekiest Practical Jokes Ever

There is little more powerful than a nerd on a mission

Machias Seal Island is home to a population of Atlantic Puffins.

Canada And the United States Are Bickering Over Ownership of a Tiny Island

A tiny island with little more than a lighthouse and some puffins is the center of a border disagreement

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Think Apple Maps Are Bad? These Cartographics Blunders Were Way Worse

If you think Apple messed up big time, think again. The history of map making is full of far worse blunders

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Open For Business: The 3D Printed Gun Store

After Makerbot and Stasys pulled support, 3-D gun printers have found help elsewhere, and opened an online database of designs

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Cosmic Sans: a New Font Space Geeks Will Love to Hate

Merging iconic space imagery with everyone's (least) favorite font

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Super High Res Photo of Mt. Everest Shows Glacier Melt (But No Bodies)

Photographers from the organization Glacier Works just captured an interactive digital image of Mount Everest in astounding, gigapixel detail

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The Irish Used to Celebrate the Day After Christmas by Killing Wrens

If you've ever wanted to celebrate the day after christmas by hunting down a small bird and tying it to the top of a pole, move to Ireland

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This Beautiful Visualization Makes Prime Factors Dance

"I knew that I should take his lovely little dots and make them dance"

Just Before Sealing the Deal, Male Peacocks Announce to All Other Ladies ‘We’re About to Do It’

Called a "hoot-dash" display, scientists puzzle over the purpose of this seemingly braggadocios bellow

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An Edible White House, and the Long History of Gingerbread

The history of gingerbread starts as early as the 11th century

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Snowflakes May Have Different Designs, But They Always Have Six Sides

The chemistry of water gives rise to the intricate beauty of snowflakes

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Santa Could Totally Deliver All Those Presents Using Worm Holes Or Relativity Clouds

Have you ever wondered just how Santa delivers presents to every nice kid on Earth in just one night

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Watch Out for All the Holiday Drinking—You Might Spontaneously Combust

In the 18th century, sober citizens and church goers loved to harp on the evils of alcohol abuse, which supposedly could cause a person to randomly burst into flames

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Was Yasser Arafat Poisoned by Polonium?

In November, the body of Yasser Arafat was exhumed from beneath several feet of concrete to determine whether or not the leader had been poisoned by polonium 210

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One Spider Genus Has Species Named for Star Wars Monsters, U2, Cesar Chavez and Obama

The discovery of 33 new trapdoor spider species in the U.S. Southwest kicked off a celebrity species-naming throw down

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Why Do Placebos Work?

Researchers are trying to figure out just why the placebo effect works, and when doctors should use it

Key to Getting Holiday Shopping Right, Science Says, Is to Trust Your Gut

Skip the holiday season melt downs by not over-thinking gifts for family or close friends, researchers advise

Frida Kahlo’s Closet Finally Opened for the World

After Frida Kahlo died, her husband, the painter Diego Rivera, refused to let anyone open her closet. Now, Frida's closet is on display for the world

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