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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Underwater kite design by Minesto

Powering the 21st Century

Underwater Kites Can Harness Ocean Currents to Create Clean Energy

If researchers were to figure out how to harness the power of the currents, there is ample energy to be had

This Is the Most Expensive Piece of Art Ever Auctioned

All told, that auction raked in $691.5 million, the highest anyone has ever made at an auction in history

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Rethinking the Paleo Diet: Would You Eat the Contents of a Deer’s Stomach?

Animal stomachs for everybody!

Franz Marc’s Horses in a Landscape was one of the recovered pieces of art.

A Trove of Art, Recovered Decades After Nazis Stole It, Is Going On Virtual Display

After more than 70 years, these great works of art are starting to go online

The Price of a Starbucks Coffee Has Nothing To Do With the Price of Coffee Beans

Despite the dropping price of coffee don’t expect your Starbucks receipt to get any lighter

The USPS Will Make Sunday Deliveries Just for Amazon

The US Postal Service announced that it would make special Sunday deliveries for Amazon.com customers

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Listen to “Huh”—a Universal Word—in Russian, Icelandic, Lao And Siwu

Researchers think “huh” is a great example of “convergent cultural evolution of linguistic items,” or a word that came out of a conversational need

You don’t need to take Google’s personality test; you’re already revealing enough on Twitter.

Analyzing Your Tweets Could Help Advertisers Understand Your Personality And Sell You More Stuff

By scraping your tweets, these researchers can get insight into your personality

Big-Breasted Mannequins Take a Craze for Plastic Surgery to Its Logical Conclusion

Whether in Sweden, the U.S. or Venezuela, however, it seems that women simply want to recognize a bit of themselves in store windows

Blue, Australian Kelpie, Age 19

This Photographer Captures the Beauty And Dignity of Elderly Animals

Photographer Isa Leshko says the project originally began as a form of self-therapy, but it evolved into a traveling photography exhibition

This Movie Has Been Rated S for Sexist

Even with the bar set incredibly low, most movies fail this simple test for sexism

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Americans Who Have Stereotypical Ideas About Race And Violence Are More Likely to Own Guns

These results held true even after controlling for conservative politics, being from the South and harboring anti-government sentiments and other factors

Thanksgiving Day Shopping Could Overtake Black Friday in Five Years

Whether non-virtual stores will succeed in drawing shoppers away from their turkey dinners and post-stuffing stupor, however, remains to be seen

“The Simpsons” Has Been Secretly Teaching Its Fans Complicated Math

Several writers for The Simpsons completed degrees in math and physics before they turned to screen writing for the beloved cartoon

First edition copies of “the world’s weirdest book”

A 360-Page Book That No One’s Ever Been Able to Read Is Coming Back Into Print

Original editions of the Codex sell for up to $2,000, but a new reprint is available for $125

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Watch “Vintage” Signs Get Made in This Portland Shop

From painting to stenciling to distressing, watch a sign come to life in this little video from the shop

Is It Immoral To Kill a Zombie?

Perhaps it’s time to add ethics to your zombie preparedness training

Pumpkins

Who Steals Pumpkins From Kindergarteners?

Across the country, pumpkins have been stolen from their owners

The Emoji Show Is Gathering Emoji Based Art

Like the selfie, the emoji has faced its fair share of derision. But as more and more people use the little icons they’re finding more acceptance

Celebrate National Candy Corn Day By Making Deep-Fried Candy Corn

Whether you love or hate candy corn, it’s probably worth knowing how it’s made and where it came from

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