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Smart News / Smart News Science

Toxic Algal Bloom Forces Mississippi to Close All Its Mainland Beaches

Experts think nutrient-rich freshwater, diverted into the Gulf of Mexico during recent flooding, is fueling the algae overgrowth

The team derived acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, from a plant wall polymer called lignin.

Researchers Develop Plant-Based, Eco-Friendly Method to Produce Tylenol

Current manufacturing processes rely on coal tar, which is produced using fossil fuels

Cool Finds

Rare Lava Lake Found on Top of Sub-Antarctic Volcano

Satellite data located the persistent pool of liquid rock on top of Mt. Michael on Saunders Island, part of the South Sandwich Islands

July rolled in with a blaze, but that didn't smoke out Independence day spirit.

For the First Time Ever, Temperatures Reached 90 Degrees in Anchorage

Alaska is not a stranger to sweaty summer days, but climate scientists are nevertheless concerned about the recent heatwave

Catastrophic disasters like the pair of cyclones that devastated Mozambique earlier this year, seen here, can over shadow more commonplace, smaller-scale events, including intense heatwaves, storms and flooding.

One Climate Crisis Disaster Occurs Every Week, U.N. Official Warns

Governments should prioritize ‘adaptation and resilience’ measures designed to curb the effects of ongoing lower-impact climate events, experts say

Modified skulls (seen on the left in each box) versus unmodified skulls

Cool Finds

Ancient Chinese Graves Reveal Evidence of Early Skull Reshaping

Humans may have compressed infants’ soft heads with their hands, bound them between boards or wrapped them tightly in cloth

This 33,000-Year-Old Man May Have Been Killed by a Left-Handed Murderer

A new study delves into the puzzling fractures on a Paleolithic skull

I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords.

Not Even Chemicals Can Stop the Indomitable Cockroach

A new study suggests it will soon be “almost impossible” to control the insects with chemicals alone

These "before" (May 31, 2018) and "after" (June 19, 2019) images illustrate the Indian city's dire water shortage

Satellite Images Reveal the Extent of Chennai’s Water Shortage

Poor management, groundwater overuse and climate change-driven weather shifts are among the factors driving the crisis

Cool Finds

This Little Brazilian Dinosaur Ran Across the Desert on One Toe

The recently unearthed dog-sized theropod is a rare example of monodactyl dinosaurs

Mariam the dugong photographed as she is cared for by park officials and veterinarians from the Phuket Marine Biological Centre on Libong island.

Friendly Baby Dugong Becomes Conservation Symbol in Thailand

‘Mariam,’ who was found without her mother, has gone viral after images of her nuzzling the experts who care for her started to circulate

Apollo at 50: We Choose to Go to the Moon

Restored Apollo Mission Control Center Brings the Moon Landing Era to Life

Decommissioned in 1992, the site is now open to public tours

The little fox that could

A Young Arctic Fox Traveled From Norway to Canada in 76 Days

The animal trekked an average of 28 miles per day, covering a distance of 2,175 miles during her journey from Spitsbergen to Ellesmere Island

Your Old Bra Clasps Can Save Injured Turtles

The clasps are glued on either side of a shell fracture, then pulled together with a zip tie to stabilize the injury

Trending Today

A Summer Hailstorm Buried the Mexican City of Guadalajara Under Ice

The weekend storm was unusually severe, with drifting caused by a combination of hail and flash flooding

Minke whale on a whaling ship in a Hokkaido port on July 1, 2019.

Trending Today

Japan Resumes Commercial Whaling in Its Home Waters

As of yesterday, the whaling fleet had caught 2 minke whales and set a quota of 227 animals for the rest of 2019

Trending Today

Amazon Deforestation Has Increased Dramatically This Year

In May, an area the size of a soccer field was cleared every minute

Reports of super nest this year started coming early in May. Experts have counted four so far sparking concerns that Alabama could be gearing up for another summer like 2006, when more than 90 super nests were recorded. (Photo taken in 2006.)

Alabamians, Beware the Wasp ‘Super Nest’

Having survived an unusually mild winter, yellow jacket wasps are building huge nests, sometimes in human spaces

This photo, taken June 30, shows how badly crops were burnt and dried out by heat and sun in France's southern wine country.

Trending Today

French Village Hits 114.6 Degrees, Setting New National Record

Gallargues-le-Montueux reached the milestone during an intense heatwave that gripped Europe last week

The coffinfish can inflate its body volume by up to 30 percent upon inhaling a significant quantity of water

New Research

Coffinfish Can Hold Their Breath for Up to Four Minutes on the Ocean Floor

This evolutionary adaptation may help the deep-sea dwellers conserve energy or defend against predators

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