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Smart News / Smart News Science

A cluster of western monarch butterflies clings to a branch as it overwinters in California.

The Best Place to Watch Monarch Butterflies Migrate Might Be This Little California Beach Town

Thousands of western monarchs migrate to Pismo Beach each fall to escape winter cold, but climate change threatens the species’ survival

Neanderthals, our closest human ancestor, went extinct 35,000 to 40,000 years ago.  

To Understand Neanderthal Night-Hunting Methods, Scientists Caught Thousands of Birds With Their Bare Hands in Spanish Caves

Researchers captured more than 5,000 birds to learn how our now-extinct ancestors foraged for food

Severe drought has contributed to the state’s historic wildfire season and threatened some of its most famous trees.

California Firefighters Race to Protect Giant Sequoia Trees

Officials say the historically significant trees were thankfully unscathed by recent blazes

The segmented mirrors that weigh 46 pounds each also needed to fold origami-style so that they could fit inside the rocket and later bloom open once it reaches its destination.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Will Launch Into Orbit in December

Once in space, the observatory will travel to a location one million miles from Earth

Coffee leaves cultured in laboratory conditions produced a brewed batch that smelled and tasted like the real deal.

Lab-Grown Coffee Passes Taste Test

Finnish researchers brew batch using a bioreactor for a more sustainable, climate-conserving java crop

Children ages 5 to 11 could be eligible to get the vaccination as early as October, pending FDA authorization.

Pfizer Says Covid-19 Vaccine Safe and Effective for Kids Ages 5 to 11

FDA authorization could come as early as October

The device includes a hemofilter made up of silicon semiconductor membranes that remove waste products from blood and a bioreactor containing renal tubule cells that regulate water volume, electrolyte balance and other metabolic functions.

Innovation for Good

This Bioartificial Organ Could One Day Save ‘Millions’ Living With Kidney Disorders

Scientists won a $650,000 prize for the successful demonstration of the prototype

An advisory panel says most fully vaccinated Americans are still well-protected from Covid-19.

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Covid-19 Booster for Older and High-Risk Americans

The committee says most Americans don’t need a booster shot just yet

Scientists first spotted the tracks, including this one from a calf, after storms in 2020 swept away several feet of sand in Spain.

Fossilized Footprints Reveal an Ancient Elephant Nursery in Spain

Straight-tusked elephants as young as two months old trampled around the area with their mothers

Between April 4 to June 19, unvaccinated individuals accounted for 95 percent of cases, 93 percent of hospitalizations, and 92 percent of deaths.

Unvaccinated Individuals Are 11 Times More Likely to Die From Covid-19

Multiple CDC studies suggest that vaccines against Covid-19 remain highly effective against severe complications from the virus

In one piece of fossilized amber, a female spider was astonishingly preserved, clutching an egg sac filled with spiderling embryos nearly ready to hatch.  

Female Spiders’ Maternal Instincts Captured in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber

Four amber pieces are the earliest evidence of maternal care in spiders

Instead of giving the same mRNA shot a third time, the group suggests boosters could be tweaked to better handle new variants as the emerge, similar the annual flu shot.

Some Experts Say Most Vaccinated Americans Don’t Need Booster Shot Yet

A new analysis concludes vaccines still offer substantial protection against Covid-19

Though the fossil shared a resemblance to others found in the region, it had much longer legs. The team decided to name the new species Kairuku waewaeroa, which means “long-legged” in the Maori language.

New Zealand Kids Discovered This Fossil of New Giant Penguin Species on a Field Trip

Paleontologists say the bird would have been roughly the size of a ten-year-old child

The colorful critter features fabulously patterned wings, though it rarely uses them. Instead, the bug hops from plant to plant to devour vegetation.

Kansas Boy’s Bug Collection Garners Blue Ribbon at State Fair—and Federal Investigation

The student’s science project included a spotted lanternfly, an invasive species, that officials did not yet know reached the state

Red forest ant (Formica rufa). This image was awarded honorable mention in this year's Nikon Small World contest.

These Images Reveal Nature in Microscopic Detail

Nikon’s Small World Photography Contest offers at up-close look at slime molds, insect wings, neurons and more

A dozen rat carcasses with upturned bellies were found littered along the sand in Brooklyn's Canarsie Park.

Rat Carcasses Wash Ashore in New York City After Hurricane Ida

Flood waters from record rainfall overwhelmed the rodents and forced them out of their homes

Enticed by a sweet treat, a cow learns to use the "MooLoo," a latrine for cattle, where excrement can be collected. The only question is: can this technique work on a larger scale?

Researchers Potty Trained Young Cows, a Promising Measure to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

One cow pees up to eight gallons a day; training them is easy, and capturing and treating the waste could make a difference

After his recovery, researchers noticed Bruce was using small pebbles to rid his plumage of mites and dirt—a practice that has never been observed before.

Bruce the Parrot Uses Tools to Survive Despite a Broken Beak

Missing his upper beak, an alpine parrot in New Zealand uses small pebbles for preening

A mammoth replica on display at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, Canada.

These Scientists Plan to Fully Resurrect a Woolly Mammoth Within the Decade

A company has raised $15 million to bring the species back from extinction using gene editing technology

The Hispaniolan boa appeared smaller than any other boa the researchers had seen before.

For the First Time in 133 Years, a New Species of Boa Was Discovered in the Dominican Republic

The small snake may be one of the smallest boas in the world

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