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Smart News / Smart News Arts & Culture

Jane Austen on the British £10 note.

New British £10 Note Will Feature Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s smiling face will be on British currency starting around 2017

Etsy Has Banned Sales of Protected Animals’ Fur, Bones, Teeth And Bodies

Conservation groups are hoping that, with Etsy and Ebay on board, other sites such as Craigslist, Bonanza and Google Shop will follow suit

Americans’ Love of Driving Was Fading Even Before the Economy Crashed

This is good news for both the country and the planet, since less driving means less dependence on fossil fuels and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Blowing Out Birthday Candles Makes the Cake Taste Better

Rituals draw people in and help them focus on the present moment, which helps them focus on and enjoy the food that follows

In Bacon Therapy, the Meat Isn’t for You: It’s for the Bugs Eating Your Skin

Bacon therapy might sound like an awesome thing. It is not

Monsanto has faced strong criticisms and protests worldwide.

Monsanto Is Giving Up on GMOs in Europe

Facing a strong public disapproval, Monsanto gave up trying to grow genetically modified crops in Europe

An English Town Had to Dye This Beautiful Lagoon Black to Get People to Stop Swimming in It

The lagoon is so blue it attracts visitors from all over. The problem is that the lagoon is incredibly toxic.

Thomas, taking notes on Gerald Ford.

Helen Thomas, Trailblazing Female Journalist, Dies at 92

Many credit Thomas with breaking the glass ceiling for women in journalism

How Other Cities Avoided Detroit’s Fate

Many places manage to avoid actually filing for bankruptcy, despite being in dire straits

Honeybee Theft Is on the Rise

Some beekeepers are working towards making tiny trackers for bees to locate them when they are stolen, but there’s no “find my queen” app just yet

All things you can buy on Instagram.

Entrepreneurs Are Using Instagram to Sell Everything From Sweaters to Sheep

Instead of logging onto Amazon or hitting the mall, maybe the next time you need a sheep or a sweater, you should check Instagram

How Much Can You Guess About a Person From Their Name?

If researchers could guess the ethnicity, gender or age of a person without having to survey them, they would have a lot more data at their disposal

Drug Allegations Haunt Baseball’s All-Star Game

Around 20 baseball players are under investigation for the alleged use of performance enhancing drugs

Good News: Astrology Doesn’t Impact the Success of Your Marriage

While the success of your marriage probably has nothing to do with the position of Venus, astrological signs can impact how people feel about things

Left, “GPM” by Yuki Kiriga. Right, “Mizu-chan” by Sabrynne Buchholz

NASA and Japan Team Up to Make Anime Mascots

If pictures of the furthest reaches of space bore you, never fear, anime characters are here.

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Television Channel for Dogs to Launch in August

DogTV, “the first and only 24/7 television channel scientifically developed and tested for dogs,” is a 24-hour channel that will debut on August 1st

Maybe Don’t Feel So Bad For the Men Treed by Tigers for Five Days

They may have planned to sell the cub they killed on the black market

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Worldwide, One Out of Four People Paid a Bribe Last Year

While 9 out of 10 people in the survey say they want to act against corruption, many also reported that they had to pay bribes to get simple services

Crayola Has At Least 16 Different Names For What Most of Us Would Call ‘Orange’

Crayola is the master of colors. Sort of. In fact, what they’re actually the master of is color naming, and renaming

Bystanders Intervene in One-Third of Bar Room Brawls

If you’re at a bar and somebody starts a fight, what do you do? Root them on? Step in? Join the fight?

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