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Smart News / Smart News Ideas & Innovations

More than 10,000 Clovis points have been discovered in North America, but researchers still aren't sure how early humans used them.

How Did Ice Age Humans Kill Huge Animals Like Mammoths? Probably Not by Throwing Spears, Study Finds

New research theorizes that hunters used pikes planted in the ground—with their sharp tips pointing upward—to impale approaching wildlife using the creature’s own weight and momentum

Carpentry waste inside one of the Roman-era wells discovered in England.

Two Ancient Wells Discovered in England Suggest Even the Romans Used Trial and Error

After the first well collapsed, the local builders incorporated wooden planks to hold up the walls of the second

The new research tested the drug liraglutide, marketed as the diabetes treatment Victoza. Liraglutide and the active substance used in the weight-loss treatment Wegovy are both GLP-1 agonists, used to lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

Weight Loss and Diabetes Drug Could Slow Alzheimer’s Progression, Preliminary Study Suggests

In a year-long trial, people who received a daily injection of liraglutide showed an 18 percent lower cognitive decline than people who received a placebo

Mars might host an ocean of water within porous rocks miles beneath its surface, according to a new study.

Mars Hosts a Giant Reservoir of Water Underground, We Just Can’t Easily Reach It, Study Finds

The water is enough to cover the Martian surface in a mile-deep ocean, but it’s beyond the reach of drills for now, according to researchers

Humans couldn't survive outdoors on Mars for a number of reasons, including its extremely low temperatures. Scientists are studying ways to terraform the planet to make it more hospitable.

Humans Could Warm Up Mars for Space Travelers by Spraying Tiny Metal Rods Into Its Atmosphere

Researchers propose a new technique for making the Red Planet more habitable by engineering heat-trapping nanoparticles from Martian dust

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the International Space Station on June 13.

NASA Astronauts Launched on Eight-Day Mission Might Have to Remain on the ISS Until February

After technical issues on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, the space agency says it’s considering bringing the astronauts back to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon instead

Microwaves need to be cleaned regularly, just like other kitchen surfaces.

Your Microwave Is Teeming With Bacteria, Study Suggests

Researchers found thriving communities of microbes in microwave ovens used in home kitchens, shared spaces and laboratories

An Australian sea lion captures video while swimming through an invertebrate reef habitat.

Scientists Enlist the Help of Sea Lions to Reveal a Unique View of the Ocean Floor

Australian researchers glued satellite-linked GPS cameras to the animals’ backs to capture footage that could be vital to marine conservation efforts

A new study of giant danios (not pictured) suggests schools of fish save 79 percent more energy in turbulent conditions than fish swimming individually.

Swimming in Schools May Help Fish Save Energy in Turbulent Waters

A new study suggests schooling fish use up to 79 percent less energy in rough conditions than fish that swim alone

A California condor chick rests in a clear container lined with paper at the L.A. Zoo.

A Record-Breaking 17 California Condor Chicks Hatched at the L.A. Zoo This Year

The successful breeding season offers more hope for the endangered species, which has come back from the brink of extinction due to captive breeding efforts

Brazilian Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina pops up after riding a barrel wave at Teahupo'o during the Summer Games on Monday. The photo by Jérôme Brouillet has gone viral.

Trending Today

The Story Behind This Breathtaking Viral Photo of an Olympic Surfer

Jérôme Brouillet, a photojournalist with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), captured an iconic moment when Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina celebrated after setting an Olympic record

In the future, blood tests could aid in shortening wait times for people seeking care for cognitive symptoms.

Alzheimer’s Blood Test Outperforms Standard Diagnostics in New Study

The blood test accurately diagnosed Alzheimer’s around 90 percent of the time, compared to 73 percent for specialists and 61 percent for primary care physicians

Crews even used purple glue while adhering the vulcanized rubber track to its asphalt base.

Why Is the Paris Olympics Running Track Purple?

The track incorporates recycled mussel and clam shells in a bid to help make the Summer Games the most sustainable yet

Nearly 1,000 birds died in a single night after flying into windows at McCormick Place Lakeside Center in October 2023.

Chicago Building Where Nearly 1,000 Birds Died in One Night Last Fall Installs Bird-Safe Window Film

The glass-covered lakefront convention center has long been known among wildlife advocacy groups as a site of mass casualties for migratory birds

Researchers experimented with venom from red spitting cobras (pictured here), as well as black-necked spitting cobras.

Common Blood Thinners Could Combat Snakebites, Preventing Tissue Damage and Amputations, Study Finds

An estimated 400,000 people per year are permanently disabled because of snake venom, which can cause lesions and necrosis at the bite site

A new butter alternative uses synthetic fat to create taste of dairy butter without the need for cows.

New ‘Butter’ Made From Carbon Dioxide Tastes Like the Real Dairy Product, Startup Says

The company, called Savor, uses a synthetic fat to approximate the taste of butter and is seeking regulatory approval

American oystercatchers use their orange bills to pry open shellfish.

Nesting Shorebirds Are Mobbing Drones on New York City Beaches

The drones, equipped with inflatable life rafts, were intended to help improve public safety for humans this summer—but they’re also upsetting orange-beaked birds called American oystercatchers

A prototype of the system for collecting the astronauts' urine. In the future, astronauts may go on longer spacewalks that will require them to carry more drinking water.

Spacesuit Prototype Turns Pee Into Drinking Water

The system is inspired by the stillsuits for collecting moisture in the science fiction epic Dune

A petri dish with bacteria from a stool sample. The researchers found a number of bacteria, fungi and viruses in fecal samples from children that were altered in children with autism.

Gut Microbes Could Help Diagnose Autism, Study Suggests

While more research is needed, scientists detected specific differences between the gut microbiomes of children with and without autism

The procedure allowed people to walk faster, climb stairs better and avoid obstacles more easily.

New Bionic Leg and Surgical Procedure Allow People to Walk With More Control After Amputations

The experimental surgery connects two muscles in the legs of people with below-the-knee amputations, allowing them to control a prosthetic limb with their brain

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