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Smart News / Smart News Science

Trending Today

NASA Names Most Distant Object Ever Explored ‘Arrokoth,’ the Powhatan Word for Sky

The space rock’s initial nickname, Ultima Thule, drew criticism for its ties to Nazi ideology

A general view shows the flooded St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace (L), the Lion of St. Mark winged bronze statue and the Venetian lagoon after an exceptional overnight "Alta Acqua" high tide water level, on November 13, 2019 in Venice.

Venice Declares State of Emergency as City Battles Worst Floods in 50 Years

The Italian city’s high-water mark reached 74 inches on Tuesday

Illegally caught belugas in a pool in Srednyaya Bay near the city of Nakhodka in Russia's Far East.

Russia Frees Last Belugas From Notorious ‘Whale Jail’

Dozens of orcas and belugas had been kept in small sea pens, reportedly awaiting sale to China

A two-month-old filefish collected in the survey surrounded by plastic bits.

New Research

Newly Identified Fish Nurseries Are Choked With Plastic

Larval fish congregate in surface slicks, which contain plankton—and 126 times more plastic than surrounding waters

The silver-backed chevrotain hadn't been photographed or studied by scientists in 30 years.

Scientists Thought This Fanged, Cat-Sized Deer Was Gone for Good—Now It’s Been Found Again in Vietnam

The species was lost to science, but locals had seen silver-backed chevrotains among their more common deer relatives for years

More than 60 bushfires destroyed 200 homes in Australia.

Australia Is Battling ‘Catastrophic’ Bushfires

‘I’ve been in this industry for 40 years and I have not seen a scenario like this before,’ one fire official said

New Research

Birds Sniff Each Other’s Bacteria to Help Choose a Mate

A new study finds the microbiome in a bird’s preen oil determines its scent, which can impact its reproductive success

The recently opened Apollo moon sample.

Trending Today

NASA Opens Pristine Tube of Moon Dust From the Apollo Missions

Studying the lunar material will help scientists understand the best way to analyze new samples from future missions to the moon

In residential district of Lahore, a health worker fumigates to kill off mosquito larvae to combat the spread of dengue.

New Dengue Vaccine Looks Promising, but Major Hurdles Remain

The virus currently infects almost 400 million people a year

A composite image of Mercury's 2016 transit.

How to Watch Mercury’s Rare Transit Across the Sun

Step one: Protect your eyes

A brain with a normal olfactory bulb on the left and a brain lacking the bulb on the right.

New Research

Some Women Without the Brain’s Olfactory Bulbs Can Still Smell. Scientists Say It Makes No Sense

Left-handed women missing the brain structures were still able to smell as well–or better—than average

The lonely rover is heading through Gale Crater to dig around for hints of microbial life.

See Mars’s Eerie Horizon in New Images From Curiosity Rover

Gale Crater—where the image was captured—was likely covered with lakes and rivers of liquid water around three billion years ago, scientists suggest

New Research

Sunlight-Tracking Polymer, Inspired by Sunflowers, Could Maximize Solar Power

The SunBOTS bend toward light source and could help solar cells capture more direct sunlight all day long

The markings range from letters to shapes, patterns and symbols.

You Can Now Explore a 3-D Model of Cave Covered in Creepy ‘Witches’ Marks’

Visitors spotted hundreds of etchings designed to ward off evil while exploring a cave in England’s Creswell Crags

New Research

These Beautiful Blue Turkey-Like Birds Have Tiny Brains and Huge Social Networks

A new study finds that vulturine guineafowl live in complex societies previously found in primates, elephants and dolphins

Researchers suspect the wreck is all that remains of the U.S.S. Johnston, a naval destroyer sunk during the Battle off Samar in October 1944.

Cool Finds

World’s Deepest Shipwreck Is WWII Destroyer Lost in the Philippine Sea

A private mission found the mangled debris of what is likely the U.S.S. Johnston 20,400 feet under the surface

Way to go, Wandi! Save your species!

Lost Puppy Found in Australia Is Actually Rare Dingo, DNA Test Shows

Wandi is the complete package—adorable and important for his species’ survival

Five chunks of dough in silicone pouches were sent to the space station, awaiting baking.

With a ‘Zero G’ Oven, Astronauts Can Have Their Cookies, but They Can’t Eat Them Too

The experimental Zero G oven will be able to bake one cookie at a time, and it’s possible the treats may come out as cookie balls or cylinders

Goats cleared a fire break around the library just in time to hold the blaze back so firefighters could finish the job.

Hungry Goats Helped Save the Reagan Library From a California Wildfire

Some heroes wear capes, others like to eat flammable weeds

“It’s unfortunate when we lose a treasure such as the Wizard Rock,” says district ranger Sarah Clawson. “These boulders belong to the public, and should be enjoyed by locals and visitors for years to come”

One-Ton Boulder Returned to Arizona National Forest Following Brazen Theft

The thief (or thieves) likely used heavy machinery to commit the crime

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