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Smart News / Smart News Science

The fungus picks up gold from its surroundings, oxidizes it, and then transforms the dissolved element back into a solid state

Cool Finds

Scientists Discover Fungus That Collects Gold From Its Environment

The Australian fungus could help miners find the next generation of underground gold deposits

Chimps Seen Cracking Open Tortoise Shells—a First

One adult male even appeared to save half of his hard-shelled snack for later—an intriguing sign of future planning

An elephant at Moremi Game Reserve in Maun, Botswana.

Five Things to Know About Botswana’s Decision to Lift Ban on Hunting Elephants

The move has been criticized by conservationists but lauded by locals who say wild elephants are ruining their livelihoods

Living with the “thermostat patriarchy”

Chilly Rooms May Cool Women’s Productivity

A new study has found that women perform better on math and verbal tests in warmer temperatures

An artist's rendering of the recomposition facility

Washington Becomes First State to Allow ‘Human Composting’ as a Burial Method

The accelerated decomposition method transforms remains into soil and uses just an eighth of the energy required for cremation

Flower of tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera).

Civil War Plant Remedies Actually Fought Off Infections, Study Finds

Researchers tested the antimicrobial properties of three plants mentioned in an 1863 treatment book

Cool Finds

Australia Has Several New Dragon Lizard Species—and One May Already Be Extinct

A new study shows the endangered grassland earless dragon is actually four separate reptile species—and one hasn’t been seen since 1969

France outlawed ortolan hunting in 1999, but the ban was rarely enforced until 2007 and remains unevenly implemented

Ortolans, Songbirds Enjoyed as French Delicacy, Are Being Eaten Into Extinction

Hunters illegally catch some 30,000 of the 300,000 ortolans that pass through southwestern France every migration season

Two Captive Beluga Whales Are Heading to First-of-Its-Kind Sanctuary in Iceland

It is the first refuge of its kind for belugas

Tiger sharks appear to prey on migrating songbirds that fall into the ocean during autumnal storms

Baby Sharks Do (Do, Do, Do, Do, Do) Eat Songbirds

A survey of 105 tiger sharks’ stomach contents revealed the remains of 11 land-based bird species

For the First Time, Researchers Find Color Red Preserved in Fossil

The fossilized rodent, dubbed ‘mighty mouse’, is the first to show chemical traces of a red pigment in soft tissue

New Research

Bonobo Mothers Interfere in Their Sons’ Monkey Business

They find suitable mates for their offspring and chase away intruders once the mating begins, boosting fertility rates

Monterrey A stem post

Virtual Travel

Virtual Reality Museum Allows Users to Explore Five Shipwrecked Vessels

The online portal features 3-D models, video footage and mosaic maps of five 19th- and 20th-century shipwrecks

Trending Today

The Future of Helium Is Up in the Air

The world is experiencing a shortage of the gas, a byproduct of natural gas production, threatening MRIs, scientific research and birthday parties

They're all good dogs.

New Research

Breathing Problems in Pugs and Bulldogs Might Have a Genetic Component

It might not be their smushed-up snouts after all

The synthetic DNA contains 61 codons, as opposed to the 64 typically found in living organisms

Scientists Create E. Coli Bacteria With Completely Synthetic Genome

The synthetic organisms appear to function much like their natural counterparts

New Research

A Nanoscale Light Trick Is the Key to Peacock Spiders’ Super-Black Spots

A new study shows how patches of bumpy microlenses capture 99.5 of the light that hits them

3-D Images Show Just How Much a Baby’s Head Changes During Birth

Scientists behind a new study were surprised by the degree of stress that is placed on a baby’s skull as it moves through the birth canal

In trials, the app detected the presence of ear fluid with 85 percent accuracy

Researchers Develop App That Plays Chirping Sounds to Check for Ear Infections

Although EarHealth isn’t currently available for purchase, the team hopes to receive F.D.A. approval by the end of 2019

Can a bike ride a day keep the doctor away?

Welsh Doctors Can Now Prescribe Free Bicycle Rides

The pilot program joins a recent spate of ‘social prescribing’ activities to hit the U.K.

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