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Smart News / Smart News Science

The elusive yeast strain had been lurking in the soil at the University College Dublin in Ireland.

Elusive Yeast That Gave Rise to Lagers Found in Europe for the First Time

Students in Ireland discovered the ancestral fungus in the soil on their university’s campus

An artistic rendering of InSight on Mars

What NASA’s Retired InSight Lander Taught Us About Mars

The Red Planet robot was officially decommissioned after dust on its solar panels robbed it of power

A replica of a Denisovan finger bone fragment. Now extinct, Denisovans were an ancient species of human that mated with ancestors of modern humans.

Denisovan DNA May Have Shaped Immune Systems in Papua New Guinea

The inherited genetic mutations might provide an advantage in fighting diseases

Defensive response of a male mason wasp to a tree frog

These Wasps Can Fight Predators With Their Spiky Genitalia

The insects jabbed their spines at hungry frogs in a similar way to how females sting

Steven Spielberg on the set of Jaws

Steven Spielberg Regrets How ‘Jaws’ Impacted Real-World Sharks

The movie contributed to a rise in shark trophy hunting

The new hydrogel might someday lead to shock-absorbing smartphone cases, as well as better bullet-proof vests and space equipment.

This New Shock-Absorbing Gel Can Withstand Supersonic Impacts

Made from a resilient protein in human cells, the technology could improve body armor, space gear and even cell phone cases

J. Robert Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project, a mission to develop nuclear weapons during World War II.

U.S. Reverses 1954 Removal of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Security Clearance

The “father of the atomic bomb” was accused of being a communist

This 2013 photo of P-22 helped catapult him to fame. The cougar inspired conservation projects for urban wildlife and earned a robust Instagram following.

Why Los Angeles Fell in Love With the Mountain Lion Known as P-22

A local celebrity, the feline that was the face of several conservation campaigns died this weekend

A cinnamon black bear

Why Do Some Black Bears Have Brown Fur?

New research pinpoints the 9,000-year-old genetic mutation that gives some black bears a cinnamon-colored hue

New York is now the sixth state to pass a law banning pet sales in stores, following California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland and Washington.

New York Bans Sale of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits in Pet Stores

The law, meant to combat abusive breeders, will take effect in 2024

An illustration of the SWOT satellite orbiting Earth

NASA Launches New Satellite to Study Earth’s Water

The mission’s data could paint a clearer picture of the effects of climate change

A high-ranking adult male chimpanzee rests in the dry and open woodland vegetation that dominates the Issa Valley savanna-mosaic habitat.

Human Ancestors May Have Evolved to Walk Upright in Trees

Research on wild chimpanzees suggests searching for food in tree branches drove bipedalism

More than 150 people die every day from synthetic opioids.

Scientists Create a Vaccine Against Fentanyl

Researchers hope the vaccine, which blocked the drug from entering rats’ brains, could help reduce overdoses in humans

Researchers found a two-part organ called the hemiclitoris after dissecting a death adder snake.

Scientists Discover That Snakes Have Clitorises

The finding highlights disparities in research on male and female animals

NASA's Perseverance rover takes a selfie on September 10, 2021.

Listen to the Sound of a Dust Devil Swirling Around on Mars

For the first time, scientists have recorded the noise of a Martian dust storm using a microphone on NASA’s Perseverance rover

Thirty-seven U.S. states and D.C. have laws permitting the use of medical marijuana.

For Pain Relief, Cannabis May Be No Better Than a Placebo

Previous research has shown the placebo effect can be extremely powerful, rivaling ibuprofen or morphine

When flushed, commercial toilets can spew airborne particles at speeds of up to 6.6 feet per second.

Here’s What Really Happens When You Flush a Toilet

Using lasers and cameras, scientists visualized the plume of tiny, aerosolized particles ejected from commercial toilets during flushing

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Director Kimberly Budil and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar at a Tuesday press conference announcing the finding

Fusion Breakthrough Raises Hopes for Clean Energy

This process that powers stars is still decades away from widespread use on Earth

A rupture in the Keystone pipeline system led to an oil spill into Mill Creek near Washington, Kansas.

Keystone Pipeline Leaks 14,000 Barrels of Oil in Kansas

This is the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and the biggest in the system’s history

With the door open to give the telescope a clear view, SOFIA cruised through the Earth's stratosphere at 38,000 to 45,000 feet.

Unique NASA Observatory Will Make a Final Flight—to a Museum

SOFIA, a 38,000-pound telescope inside an airplane, spent eight years observing the universe in infrared

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