Smart News Science

Third Act focused its protests on four banks—Chase, Citibank, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

'Rocking Chair Rebellion' of Senior Citizens Joins Climate Protest

Thousands of retirees in 90 locations across the U.S. protested banks that finance new fossil fuel infrastructure

A halved slice of edible 3D-printed cake.

Scientists 3D Printed a Slice of Cake

The seven-ingredient recipe shows potential for the future of making food with this technology, researchers say

Global carbon dioxide emissions reached an all-time high in 2022.

U.N. Climate Change Report Calls for Urgent Action

Countries must strive for more ambitious emissions goals over the next decade, scientists say

Solar panels float on a mountain lake in Switzerland. The first such system was installed in 2008.

Are Floating Solar Panels the Future of Clean Energy Production?

“Floatovoltaics” could drastically raise power generation and conserve water in reservoirs, according to a new study

Dead fish in the Darling-Baaka river

Millions of Dead Fish Are Rotting in an Australian River

Extreme heat and flooding starved the water of oxygen, leading to the mass die-off

An artist's illustration of microscopic Candida auris organisms 

Drug-Resistant Fungal Infections Are on the Rise in the U.S.

A yeast called Candida auris has sickened more people over a wider area during the pandemic

An analysis of genetic samples taken in 2020 from a market in Wuhan, China, found both the coronavirus and raccoon dog DNA.

Genetic Evidence Ties Covid's Origin to Raccoon Dogs

New data support the theory that the virus causing Covid-19 first spread to humans from animals

Between 2013 and 2017, 90 percent of the sunflower sea star population was wiped out from a disease called Sea Star Wasting Syndrome.

These Sea Stars Are Literally Wasting Away—but They May Soon Receive Protection

Sunflower sea stars have been recommended for Endangered Species Act protection as disease leads them to “disintegrate into gooey masses”

This computer-generated image shows objects in Earth's orbit. The majority—around 95 percent—are bits of space junk.

Burning Space Junk Creates Mysterious Lights in California Sky

Bright streaks observed Friday were jettisoned equipment from the International Space Station re-entering Earth’s atmosphere

An aerial view of the ongoing efforts to reconstruct Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral, pictured in June 2021

Cool Finds

The 2019 Notre-Dame Fire Revealed Iron Staples Holding the Cathedral Together

The Paris landmark is the first known Gothic cathedral to use iron in this way, researchers say

A rendering of Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum dinosaurs with their 50-foot-long necks.

This Dinosaur Had a 50-Foot-Long Neck, Scientists Say

They compared vertebrae discovered in 1987 to more complete remains to make this new estimate

An aerial view of the Vjosa River near the city of Permet taken on March 14, 2023.

One of Europe's Last Free-Flowing Rivers Declared a National Park

Albania will protect more than 31,000 acres of land, including the undammed Vjosa River

A computer-generated three-dimensional image of Maat Mons, the tallest volcano on Venus, from NASA's Magellan mission

Scientists Spot Recent Volcanic Activity on Venus

The findings in 30-year-old radar image data all but confirm that volcanoes on Earth’s hellish sister planet are still active today

The new suits will actually be all white, but Axiom Space showed off its prototype with a dark gray cover material.

See the New Moonwalk Spacesuit Designed for NASA's Artemis Program

The space agency has tapped private company Axiom Space to develop the sleek new attire for its moon-bound astronauts

The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 and named after naturalist John James Audubon, who died in 1851.

National Audubon Society Votes to Keep the Name of an Enslaver

The move has been criticized by some local chapters that have severed ties with naturalist and slaveholder John James Audubon

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located in the Norwegian Arctic on the remote island of Spitsbergen.

Take a Virtual Tour of the 'Doomsday' Seed Vault

The impressive depository carefully preserves over one million seed samples in its Arctic location

A puffin in soft light surrounded by faint raindrops.

See 15 Amazing Wildlife Images From the Sony World Photography Awards

The contest showcases the work of some of the planet’s best photographers

"Forever chemicals" have been in firefighting foam as well as products including nonstick cookware and water-repellant clothing. Research has linked them to a number of health problems, including cancer.

EPA Proposes First Limits for Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water

Under the rule, public water systems would monitor levels of six types of long-lasting contaminants known as PFAS

Australia's 2019 to 2020 wildfires destroyed more than 3,000 homes. New research shows how they also temporarily depleted the ozone layer.

Here's How Wildfires Can Destroy the Ozone Layer

Massive blazes like the ones in Australia three years ago deplete the crucial blanket surrounding our planet through chemical reactions in the atmosphere

This composite image of the WR 124 star combines observations from Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

See the James Webb Telescope's Rare New Image of a Dying Star

The star is on the cusp of exploding in a supernova and may offer insights into the universe's so-called "dust budget crisis"

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