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Smart News / Smart News Science

A typical black bear in the western United States (pictured) is around half of Hank’s size.

DNA Shows At Least Three Large Black Bears Are Breaking Into Tahoe Homes, Not Just ‘Hank the Tank’

Bears have damaged at least 30 properties in the area

The patient was treated for HIV using stem cells from umbilical cord blood, a less invasive and risky method compared to bone marrow transplants.

First Woman Has Been ‘Cured’ of HIV Using Stem Cells

The novel treatment using umbilical cord blood could help dozens of people with both HIV and aggressive cancers

Out of 250,000 known marine species, scientists suspect all 126 marine mammals emit sound.

Good News

Scientists Propose the Creation of a Global Aquatic Sound Library

The first-ever international audio collection of aquatic ecosystems would aim to uncover unidentified fish species, discover regional dialects and more

The bat falcon in Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Alamo, Texas

Bat Falcon Is Spotted for the First Time in the United States

Why the bird ventured so far north is a mystery, but the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says the raptor’s range seems to be expanding

Several Gulf Coast cities including Pensacola, Florida suffered flooding from storm surges and heavy rainfall during Hurricane Sally in September 2020.

Sea Levels Will Rise One Foot Along U.S. Coasts by 2050

Some regions could see as much as seven feet of sea level rise by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t curbed

Researchers attached green LED lights along the gillnet float line to keep unwanted marine animals from getting stuck.

Innovation for Good: Game Changers

Lit-Up Fishing Nets Dramatically Reduce Catch of Unwanted Sharks, Rays and Squid

Decorated nets entrapped fewer undesirable animals without significantly impacting the amount of target fish caught

Antarctic pearlwort (pictured) , grew and spread five times faster between 2009 and 2018 than growth rates observed between 1960 and 2009  

Warming Temperatures Are Turning Antarctica Green

Native flowering plant species grew faster and more densely in the last decade than in the previous 50 years combined

The MarineLabs sensor buoy that detected the record-breaking wave near Ucluelet, British Columbia.

Record-Breaking Rogue Wave Detected Off Vancouver Island

A 58-foot-tall wall of water was measured by a sensor buoy off the coast

Lichens produce oxygen, trap moisture, and serve as food and shelter to other organisms.

Lichens Are in an Evolutionary Race Against Climate Change

The symbiotic organisms could need more than a million years to adapt to just 1 degree Celsius of warming, a new study suggests

Linda is observant, social, and aware of new sights and sounds.

Meet Linda the Ostrich, the National Zoo’s Newest Animal Ambassador

The large feathery friend is four years old and arrived at the Zoo in November 2021

The American West’s megadrought has been exacerbated by human-caused climate change. It is likely to continue for at least another year.

The Western U.S. Is Experiencing the Worst Drought in More Than 1,200 Years

Human-caused climate change is responsible for 42 percent of the soil moisture deficit in the last 22 years, a new study finds

Collectors have gone out to look for rare pieces like washed-up octopuses and green dragons.

After 25 Years at Sea, Shipwrecked Lego Pieces Are Still Washing Ashore on Beaches in England

In 1997, a cargo ship was struck by a rogue wave. Among 62 shipping containers aboard, one contained five million plastic toy bricks

Threats like hunting, habitat loss and the pesticide DDT contributed to the bald eagle's decline.

After 35 Years of Recovery Efforts, Bald Eagles Are No Longer Considered Endangered in Vermont

The state first listed the raptors as endangered in 1987

The star, HD 84406 is seen as 18 photons because it is refracted by the telescopes 18 misaligned mirrors.  

James Webb Space Telescope’s First Look at Outer Space Is a Kaleidoscope of Faint Starlight

As NASA astronomers adjust its mirrors over the next month, the dots of light will eventually align into one image of a star in Ursa Major

The life-size exhibit presents an inclusive vision of women excelling in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Smithsonian Honors Female Scientists With 120 Bright Orange Statues

The 3-D–printed figures will be displayed on the National Mall in celebration of Women’s History Month

By combining evidence from CT scans and comparing Dolly's modern bird and reptile relatives, researchers suspect that the irregular bone structures likely occurred as a response to a bacterial or fungal infection like chlamydiosis and aspergillosis in Dolly's air sacs.

Meet Dolly, the First Dinosaur Discovered With a Case of the Sniffles

Abnormal growths in its fossilized neck bones suggest that the long-necked dino suffered from a pneumonia-like illness

Locals call this crocodile "buaya kalung ban," which means "crocodile with a tire necklace."

Crocodile With a Tire Stuck Around Its Neck Is Finally Freed After Six Years

In Indonesia, a local bird catcher trapped the large reptile and sawed off the trash because he didn’t want to watch the animal suffer

When gray wolves were removed from Endangered Species List 15 months ago, hunting of the species dramatically increased

Judge Restores Federal Protections for Gray Wolves in 44 States

The move is heralded as a conservation success but faces criticism from hunters and ranchers

Out of four known types of black holes, stellar-mass black holes are the most common and have masses less than 100 times the Sun.

Astronomers Spot First Lone, Free-Wheeling Black Hole in the Milky Way Galaxy

The massive void, zipping at 28 miles per second, may have been blasted into space by a supernova explosion

"Lake of Ice" by Cristiano Vendramin, Italy

A Snowy Scene at Italy’s Lake Santa Croce Wins the People’s Choice Award in Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest

London’s Natural History Museum has announced five winners of the 57th annual competition

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