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Smart News / Smart News Science

Some fungi can take over ants' minds, killing the host and using its body to spread spores to other victims.

The Real Zombie Fungus That Inspired HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

Humans will probably never face a fungal apocalypse, but in the insect world, mind-controlling fungi can pose a serious threat

Wolves on Pleasant Island are actively hunting and eating sea otters.

In Alaska, Hungry Wolves Have Started Eating Sea Otters

After devouring their island’s deer, these canines may be the first land predators to rely on sea otters as a main food source

The first traffic court case to use a "robot lawyer" is set for February 22.

The First ‘A.I. Lawyer’ Will Help Defendants Fight Speeding Tickets

Two people equipped with Bluetooth earpieces will repeat to a judge what the robot tells them

Ants don't have noses, but they detect scents using antennae atop their heads.

These Ants Were Trained to Sniff Out Cancer

In just ten minutes, an ant could learn to identify urine from mice with cancerous tumors, a new study finds

An artist's rendition of a cross-section of Earth. The innermost layer, the inner core, is a 1,500-mile-wide ball of iron.

The Spin of Earth’s Inner Core May Be Changing, Scientists Say

A new study finds our planet’s iron center shifts between spinning slightly faster and slightly slower than the surface—but not all experts agree

As of January 24, the Doomsday Clock sits at 90 seconds to midnight.

The Doomsday Clock Is Now Closer Than Ever to Midnight

The reset comes amid the war in Ukraine, nuclear threats and climate change

The mummified teen digitally unwrapped in four stages

Digital Scans Reveal Secrets of ‘Golden Boy’ Mummy

The 2,300-year-old mummified teen was buried with 49 protective amulets, several made of gold

The 16.7-pound meteorite is thought to be an ordinary chondrite, the most common kind of space rock.

Researchers Find Rare 17-Pound Meteorite in Antarctic Ice

The polar desert is a prime zone for preserving space rocks dating back to our early solar system

A grizzly bear in Glacier National Park in Montana

Three Grizzly Bears Tested Positive for Avian Flu in Montana

The current outbreak has led to the deaths of more than 52 million birds in the United States

Park rangers found Toadzilla while conducting track work.

At Almost Six Pounds, ‘Toadzilla’ May Be the Largest Toad Ever Found

Captured in a national park in Australia, the cane toad was later euthanized due to the invasive animal’s threat to the environment

Derek Burgoyne captured the moment a moose sheds its antlers using a drone in New Brunswick, Canada.

Watch Rare Drone Video of a Moose Shedding Its Antlers

A wildlife enthusiast in eastern Canada stumbled across the magnificent event this month

The animals were preserved in a different manner than most mummified crocodiles.

Archaeologists in Egypt Unearth 2,500-Year-Old Mummified Crocodiles

The remains include five reptile heads and five nearly intact specimens

Moderna is one of several companies currently working on a vaccine for RSV.

Experimental RSV Vaccine Prevents Illness in Older Adults, Moderna Says

In a large clinical trial, the vaccine was 83.7 percent effective at preventing two or more symptoms of respiratory illness in people over the age of 60

The twilight sky as seen in Coonabarabran, Australia

Light Pollution Is Outshining Stars Faster Than Thought

The artificial glow threatens astronomy, migrating birds and human health

Five images display (A) an unhatched egg, (B) a circular outline of a possibly unhatched egg, (C) a compressed egg showing hatching window (arrow) and eggshells collected around the hatching window (circled), (D) an egg showing a curved outline, and (E) a deformed egg showing egg surfaces slipping past each other.

Cool Finds

Scientists Uncover Nearly 100 Dinosaur Nests in Fossilized Hatchery

The find reveals that plant-eating titanosaurs had reproductive similarities to both birds and crocodiles

A snowshoe hare in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

See 25 Stunning Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

Vote for your favorite among these photos shortlisted in the People’s Choice category until February 2

Extinct trilobites called Walliserops trifurcatus may have been among the first creatures on Earth to engage in sexual combat, a new study finds.

This ‘Jousting’ Trilobite Might Be the First Known Creature to Fight for a Mate

Using a “trident” attached to its head, the arthropod may have competed for sexual dominance 400 million years ago

People in Chicago fishing on Lake Michigan on December 25, 2021. The new study found particularly high levels of PFAS in fish from the Great Lakes.

Freshwater Fish Contain Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’

Eating one serving of locally caught fish could equate to drinking contaminated water for a month, a new study finds

Sister André, born Lucile Randon in 1904, died on January 17, 2023, at the age of 118.

Covid-19

World’s Oldest Known Person, a French Nun, Dies at 118

Sister André survived both world wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic and even a Covid-19 diagnosis at the age of 116

An unidentified aerial phenomenon captured by the U.S. Navy

More Than 350 New UFO Sightings Added to U.S. Government Records

Officials speculate these may include balloons, drones, airborne plastic bags or birds

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