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Smart News / Smart News Science

View from the southern summit of Kebnekaise in 2012

Climate Change Has Shrunk Sweden’s Highest Peak

The southern peak of the Kebnekaise mountain has been deemed shorter than its northern counterpart for the first time since measurements began in 1880

New Research

Wolves Gave Tibetan Mastiffs Their Mountaineering Genes

The big, shaggy dogs of the Himalayas are 50 percent more efficient at transporting hemoglobin than lowland pooches

Monster Invasive Tumbleweed Is Outgrowing Its Parent Species

Scientists once thought the hybrid Salsola ryanii would not be able to survive the hot, dry conditions of the West. They were wrong

The moon lander Vikram in the foreground and the orbiter Chandrayaan- in the background during preparation of the spacecraft for launch, June 10, 2019.

India Locates Lost Lunar Lander but Struggles to Reestablish Contact

The Vikram spacecraft went offline minutes before it was scheduled to touch down near the south pole of the moon

The green blob of X-rays in the lower left quadrant of the Fireworks galaxy lasted about 10 days before disappearing.

New Research

Astronomers Puzzle Over Short-Lived Glowing Green Light Bursts

The ultra luminous X-rays lasted about 10 days in the aptly named Fireworks galaxy

Leatherback sea turtle hatchlings rush toward the water

Cool Finds

Baby Sea Turtles’ Fossilized Tracks Found in South Africa

Researchers recorded trackways left by relatives of modern loggerhead and leatherback turtles

The frame of the underwater observatory responsible for the power supply during deployment.

A Huge Underwater Observatory Has Vanished Without a Trace

The instrument, located off Germany’s Baltic coast, cost more than $330,000. But its data was ‘priceless,’ one expert said

Volunteers planted more than 1,000 "happy little trees" across Michigan's state parks

Art Meets Science

Michigan Plants 1,000 ‘Happy Little Trees’ in Honor of Bob Ross

Hundreds of volunteers replaced damaged and diseased trees with the saplings, which are grown by prison inmates

A 550-million-year-old worm track found in China.

New Research

Ancient Worm Died in Its Tracks, Shedding Light on Animal Movement

The 550 million-year-old fossil shows familiar animals evolved before the Cambrian Explosion

Cock-a-doodle-doo, losers.

A Rooster Named Maurice Can Keep on Crowing, French Court Rules

‘Maurice has won a battle for the whole of France,” the bird’s owner said

Rock art in Vallegrande in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Wildfires Are Destroying Bolivia’s Rock Art

Blazes set by farmers hoping to clear land for agriculture pose a threat to archaeological sites across the South American country

Squirrels readily resumed normal activities such as foraging after hearing nearby birds' relaxed chatter

Squirrels Eavesdrop on Birds to Check if Danger Has Passed

New study suggests eastern grays exposed to predators’ calls resume normal activities more quickly after tuning in to birds’ casual chatter

Cool Finds

Could This New Mineral Be From a Destroyed Planet’s Core?

Grains of new mineral, edscottite, were found in the Wedderburn meteorite, which was originally collected in Australia in 1951

Astronaut Christina Koch of the International Space Station captured this image of Hurricane Dorian outside the space station’s windows the morning of Sept. 2, 2019.

Hurricane Dorian Batters the Bahamas Before Barreling Along the U.S. Coast

The storm caused historic damage in the Caribbean islands, where it hovered for some 48 hours

Moonlight Helps White Barn Owls Stun Their Prey

Researchers were surprised to find that brilliant white plumage, which makes the owls more visible at night, did not impact the birds’ ability to hunt

Dog Breeding Has Changed Pooches’ Brains

A new study has found that key anatomical differences in dogs’ brains are linked to the behaviors they were bred to perform

A view of the small crater Yutu recently analyzed.

Cool Finds

China Claims Lunar Rover Found a Gel-Like Substance on the Moon

Experts suspect the material may be glass created during a meteorite impact

A Loa water frogs rescued near the city of Calama, Chile.

The Last 14 Loa Water Frogs Had to Be Rescued From Their Natural Habitat

The lone Chilean stream where the frogs live had been dried up by illegal water extraction

An artist's portrayal of the so-called "werewolf syndrome" circa 1575-1580.

Medication Mix-Up Leaves 17 Children Suffering From ‘Werewolf Syndrome’

Thanks to distribution error at Spanish laboratory, anti-baldness medication was sold as acid reflux treatment

Wildlife Trade Conference Imposes Near-Total Ban on Sending Wild African Elephants to Zoos

A loophole continues to allow the practice in “exceptional circumstances”

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