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Smart News / Smart News Science

An animation of the eight color-coded bases of hachimoji DNA

Scientists Successfully Double the DNA Alphabet

“Hachimoji DNA” is structurally sound, offers new possibilities for data storage and raises questions about the molecular makeup potential alien life

Wallace's giant bee is nearly four times larger than a European honeybee.

World’s Largest Bee Spotted for the First Time in Decades

The Wallace’s giant bee has been seen only a few times since its discovery in 1858; experts weren’t sure it still existed

Construction is slated to begin in 2020, with the museum officially opening its doors in late 2022

Art Meets Science

Seoul Will Welcome a Robot Science Museum Constructed by Robots

Robots and drones will be involved in all aspects of the project, including design, manufacture and assembly

Moros was probably about 170 pounds, or roughly the size or a deer.

Meet T. Rex’s Teeny Cousin Whose Name Means ‘Impending Doom’

A newly discovered tyrannosauroid provides insight into the 70 million year gap in North American tyrannosaur evolutionary records

Artist's rendering. The remains of the woman in the ornate tomb were found buried alongside an array of weapons, as well as a gaming set suggestive of strategic military planning.

Researchers Reaffirm Remains in Viking Warrior Tomb Belonged to a Woman

In new paper, the authors behind the 2017 study echo their original conclusions and delve deeper into the secrets of the grave in the Viking town of Birka

The coat is functional AND stylish.

Scientists Dressed Horses Up Like Zebras to Determine the Purpose of Stripes

A new study supports the theory that zebras’ distinctive coats repel flies

The researchers found that an electromagnetic "hotspot" is responsible for producing the burst of plasma

Why Do Grapes Send Sparks Flying in the Microwave?

The effect can be replicated with just about any grape-sized, water-based sphere, from large blackberries to gooseberries, quail eggs and hydrogel beads

‘Young Blood’ Transfusions Are Ineffective and Dangerous, FDA Warns

The agency has called out ‘unscrupulous actors’ who claim that plasma from young donors can combat everything from natural aging to Parkinson’s disease

Coal-colored snow has blanketed Siberia's Kuzbass region this winter, provoking local outrage and health concerns

In Siberia, Toxic Black Snow Reveals the Toll of Coal Mining

Authorities in one town reportedly attempted to cover up coal-polluted snow with white paint

The gray tufted langur was a favorite target for the early humans of Fa Hien Cave in Sri Lanka.

Ancient Humans Living in the Rainforest Hunted Monkeys and Squirrels

After analyzing nearly 15,000 animal remains in Sri Lanka, scientists found humans used carved stone and bone fragments to hunt small game

Unlike other horned spiders, this species boasts a soft, elongated horn

This Tarantula Species Has a Weird, Deflated Horn on Its Back

The defining horn, which features a hard base punctuated by a bulbous, “bag-like” body, extends over the spider’s back

A great white shark, probably considering its species' triumph over the now-extinct megalodon

New Research

Did Great White Sharks Drive Megalodon to Extinction?

An earlier extinction date puts megalodon’s fall in line with the rise of the great white

Racial Gap in Cancer Mortality Rates Narrows

The American Cancer Society reports for some age and gender groups, the race-based disparity is now nearly nonexistent

The September 2018 blaze destroyed the majority of the Brazilian museum's more than 20 million artifacts

Around 2,000 Artifacts Have Been Saved From the Ruins of Brazil’s National Museum Fire

Meanwhile, search attempts, which are expected to last through the end of 2019, continue

During the early Triassic epoch, Washington, D.C. was situated in a massive supercontinent called Pangea

This Map Lets You Plug in Your Address to See How It’s Changed Over the Past 750 Million Years

The interactive tool enables users to home in on a specific location and visualize how it has evolved between the Cryogenian period and the present

John Tenniel's illustration of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

113 Museums Transformed Illustrations From Their Collections Into Free Coloring Pages

This year’s #ColorOurCollections campaign features fantastical drawings of mythical flora and fauna, grotesque medical sketches

What a cute cowple.

Cows Can Swipe Right for Love on This New Dating App

Tudder is looking to change the livestock industry by letting farmers look for breeding mates for their cattle with an app

An artist imagines what two Mnyamawamtuka would look like as they cavort in the Cretaceous rain

New Research

Meet the Dinosaur With the Heart-Shaped Tail Bone

The newly discovered long-neck dino could help scientists figure out why some dinosaurs grew to be so large

Wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas captured snapshots of the elusive creature at Kenya’s Laikipia Wilderness Camp

See Stunning New Photos of Rare African Black Leopard

Wildlife photographer used camera traps to record high-quality images of the elusive creature, while a team of researchers released separate video footage

Revenge is sweet.

Feed Your Ex to a Bear This Valentine’s Day—or Name a Cockroach After Them

Conservation centers and zoos around the world are providing ample opportunities for people to get petty by letting them name prey after their past lovers

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