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Smart News / Smart News Science

The research team stands alongside the SARS-CoV-2 wet cyclone aerosol sampler they developed.

New Device Can Detect Covid in the Air Within Five Minutes

Researchers report the technology is 77 to 83 percent accurate in finding any of the coronavirus variants in a room

Researchers caught and tagged a 13-foot-long female sawfish off the coast of Cedar Key, Florida, in June.

13-Foot Endangered Sawfish Spotted in Northern Florida Hints at a ‘Slow Recovery’

Scientists tagged the rare animal farther north than any such fish in decades, suggesting the species is returning to areas it once lived

A southern Pacific rattlesnake. Previous studies had found examples of companionship reducing stress in birds and mammals, but not reptiles.

Having a Companion Could Help Rattlesnakes Stay Calm

During a stressful event, snakes experienced a smaller spike in heart rate when they were in the presence of another snake, according to a new study

A magpie nest in Antwerp, Belgium, made with anti-bird spikes

Crows and Magpies Snatch Anti-Bird Spikes to Build Their Nests

Birds in Europe are prying up the metal barbs, meant to repel them from roosting on buildings, and using the devices as nesting material

Opill was first approved by the FDA about 50 years ago, but until now, users needed a prescription to access it.

FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

Experts say the decision will increase access to safe and effective contraceptives for millions of Americans

Scientists found that carvings on the bones of giant sloths were made within a few years of the animals' deaths.

New Research

Humans May Have Arrived in the Americas Earlier Than Previously Thought

Researchers say that humans coexisted with giant sloths in Brazil some 25,0000 years ago

Phytoplankton form swirls of green in the Barents Sea north of Norway. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this image on July 27, 2004.

Climate Change Is Shifting the Color of Earth’s Oceans

More than half of our oceans have taken on a greener hue in the past 20 years, a trend that cannot be fully explained by natural variation, per a new study

A saber-toothed tiger skull during a press preview at Sotheby's in July 2022.

Saber-Toothed Tigers and Dire Wolves Suffered From Bone Disease

Some fossils preserved in the La Brea tar pits showed signs of an inherited joint condition that may have proliferated as the animals neared extinction

The so-called puss caterpillars have sharp spines that can inject powerful venom into humans.

Scientists Reveal Why Asp Caterpillar Stings Are So Excruciatingly Painful

A toxin in the insect’s venom, which can punch a hole in cell walls, could inspire new drug-delivery methods in humans

Aerial view of Crawford Lake

This Canadian Lake Could Mark the Start of an Epoch Altered By Humans

With evidence of fossil fuels, nuclear weapons and a warming climate buried in its sediment, Crawford Lake represents the Anthropocene, scientists say

An artist's rendition of the highly reflective exoplanet LTT 9779 b orbiting its host star.

This Mirror-Like Exoplanet Is the Most Reflective Ever Discovered

The ultra-hot world is wreathed in metallic clouds that prevent the planet from evaporating and keep its atmosphere intact

Experts aren't sure why the otter is approaching surfers, as sea otters have a natural fear of humans.

A Surfboard-Snatching Sea Otter Is Vexing Wildlife Officials in California

While the animal’s antics may look cute, the dangerous behavior could bring harm to humans or force authorities to euthanize the endangered mammal

Scientists have long debated how we perceive the absence of sound waves hitting our ears.

We Can Hear Silence Like a Sound, Scientists Say

In a study, participants were tricked by “silence illusions” in the same way that illusions with sound fool the brain

A sea lamprey

Bloodsucking Sea Lampreys Made a Comeback in the Great Lakes During Covid

Travel restrictions hindered population control of the invasive parasites, which feed on fish like trout, whitefish, perch and sturgeon

Floodwaters cover a street in the reemerging Tulare Lake, in California’s Central Valley, on April 14, 2023 in Corcoran, California.

California’s Long-Dry Tulare Lake Has Returned

Record-breaking snowpack and storms have flooded hundreds of acres of agricultural land in the state’s San Joaquin Valley

Sightseers spotted the rarely seen creatures on a Monterey Bay Whale Watch boat tour off the coast of California.

Tourists Spot ‘Incredibly Rare’ Whales Off California Coast

Cuvier’s beaked whales can hold their breath for hours and don’t spend much time at the surface, making them mysterious—and a treat to see

The northern lights as seen through a layer of wildfire smoke in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, in September 2022.

Aurora Borealis Could Dazzle the Northern U.S. This Week

The current forecast from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, says the glowing display could be visible as far as Madison, Wisconsin

Roughly six million Americans have Alzheimer's disease.

FDA Fully Approves First Drug Meant to Slow Alzheimer’s Disease

The drug showed promise in an 18-month clinical trial, but some experts have expressed concerns about its safety and cost

An artist's interpretation of what Wilson's little penguins would have looked like

New Extinct Species of ‘Ridiculously Cute,’ Tiny Penguins Discovered in New Zealand

Scientists identified the diminutive birds after finding two of their fossilized skulls

An artistic rendering of what the "Ivory Lady" might have looked like

New Research

The ‘Ivory Man’—a Powerful Leader Buried in a Lavish Tomb 5,000 Years Ago—Was Actually a Woman

Researchers in Spain had previously assumed that the grave belonged to a high-status young man

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