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Scientists Accidentally Captured the Sound of Poachers Killing an Elephant, And It’s Very, Very Sad

A microphone network meant to eavesdrop on elephants’ conversations ended up hearing something far more gruesome

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This Hurricane Season Was Way Less Awful Than People Expected

This year’s hurricane season - which ends tomorrow - has been far more subdued than experts predicted

The Pictures in Your Home Goods Catalogs Are Probably Computer Rendered

Some materials are harder to render than others, but soon those catalogs will be full of space that never existed in the real world

Paralyzed patient Jason Disanto navigates through a room full of obstacles by guiding the wheelchair with his tongue.

This Wheelchair Is Controlled By a Paralyzed Patient’s Tongue

The next step, the researchers say, is to move the system outside of the lab and hospital and into the real-world environment for testing

Hockey Players Sue League For Failing to Address Head Injuries

On Monday, ten retired N.H.L. players sued the league for fraud and negligence

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Meet Brazil’s Adorable New Wildcat Species

Also known as little spotted cats, tigrillo, tigrinas or tiger cats, it turns out these wild felines are not one but two distinct species

Same-Sex Parenting Can Be an Adaptive Advantage

Same-sex bird couples produced fewer offspring than traditional couples, but they still reared more chicks than solo parents

Apple’s Working on a New Camera That Will End Blurry Photos Forever

Apple’s new patent for a light field camera could bring refocuseable photos to a camera near you

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Which Seat Should You Pick at the Movie Theater?

When you walk into a theater, you’re probably still going to argue with your friends about which seat to pick. But now you know the right answer

Before Trivia Nights, Bars Had Turkey Raffles

There were lots of ways you could win the turkey at the bar. They all involved drinking

Bodies of would-be native mates may have nourished this invasive female M. caffra, here pictured laying eggs.

New Zealand’s Native Mantises Are a Little Too Attracted to Invasive Females

Nearly 70 percent of love-blinded males that were lured towards the invasive females were then eaten by the object of their desire

Here’s How Astronauts Will Eat Thanksgiving Dinner in Space

Yum yum yum, irradiated smoked turkey and thermostabilized yams

The Microbes Living in Our Bodies Were Probably Once Evil Pathogens

The Salmonella of the past may today help us break down food in our gut, for example

Men Are Just As Picky As Women About Who They’d Date—If They’re the Ones Being Pursued

When women have to be the pursuer, they become much less picky

Lumbini in Nepal, identified as the Buddha’s birthplace

Archeologists Think They’ve Unearthed the Buddha’s Nativity Site

Legend has it that the Buddha’s mother, Queen Maya Devi, birthed her son at Lumbini while clutching the branch of a tree at that temple’s garden

Playing Sports Is Getting Too Expensive for Many Kids’ Families

Organized sports are really expensive, and informal practice grounds are disappearing

George Mallory, far right in the back row, during an Everest expedition in 1921.

George Mallory’s Frozen Body May Have Been Discovered Decades Earlier on Everest

Frank Smythe may have spotted Mallory’s body in 1936, but kept the news to himself out of respect for the fallen mountaineer

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Your Life Experiences Aren’t So Special—Here’s Proof

There’s this feeling that each of us is wandering through life, the unique product of our own past and our own experiences.

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With 502,165 Bulbs, Australian Man Retakes World Record for Most Christmas Lights on a Single Home

David Richards first claimed that title back in 2001, with a paltry 331,038 lights, but last year he was overtaken by a New York family

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Here’s Why the FDA Is More Than a Little Freaked Out by Personal Genetic Testing

Really, this debate isn’t about 23andMe, but about a broader question of how to deliver and interpret personal genetic data

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