Smart News / Smart News Science

A Horde of Elephant Seals Conquered a California Beach During the Shutdown

They shall leave when it pleases them

February 4, 2019

Climate Change May Cause Increased Rates of Heart Defects in Babies

A new study predicts that increases in maternal heat exposure across the United States will lead to 7,000 additional cases of congenital heart defects

February 1, 2019

Pandamonium

Pandas Weren’t Always Picky Eaters

A new study suggests the all-bamboo diet was adopted in the recent past, not millions of years ago

February 1, 2019

Flying Squirrels Glow Fluorescent Pink Under Ultraviolet Light

The bubblegum pink coloring could help New World flying squirrels navigate, communicate or blend into their environments

February 1, 2019

Meet Nemuri, the Gene That Puts Flies to Sleep and Helps Them Fight Infection

A team of researchers looked at 8,015 genes and found one that made the insects super-sleepers

February 1, 2019

New Research

Why Almost All of the West Coast’s Sunflower Sea Stars Have Wilted Away

A new study suggests most of the keystone predators have died off due to an unknown pathogen and increasing ocean temperatures

January 31, 2019

Neuroscientists Have Converted Brain Waves Into Verbal Speech

Researchers tracked participants’ neural activity as they listened to recorded speech, then translated brain patterns into synthesized speech

January 31, 2019

‘Frost Quakes’ May Have Caused Mysterious Booms in Chicago

The event happens when sudden temperature drops cause underground water to freeze and expand

January 31, 2019

Trending Today

Joshua Trees Could Take 200 to 300 Years to Recover From Shutdown Damage

A former park superintendent says it will take centuries to regrow some of the iconic plants destroyed during the 35-day furlough

January 30, 2019

Rare Blue-Eyed Coyotes Spotted in California

Coyotes’ eyes are consistently golden-brown, so researchers have been surprised to learn of five California coyotes with piercing baby blues

January 30, 2019

Trending Today

Syndemic: The Little-Known Buzzword That Describes Our Troubled Times

A new report argues that the epidemics of obesity, undernutrition and climate change should be treated as one global mega-problem

January 30, 2019

These 66 Species Are Potential Biodiversity Threats to European Ecosystems

Northern snakehead, green seaweed, striped eel catfish and fox squirrel are amongst the most high-risk species

January 30, 2019

These Are the Best Practices for Underwater Photographers Hoping to Protect Marine Life

You can look—and even use flash photography—but don’t touch

January 29, 2019

Measles Outbreak Sparks Public Health Emergency in Washington State

There have been 36 confirmed cases, and most of the patients had not been vaccinated

January 29, 2019

Earth’s Oldest Known Rock May Have Been Found on the Moon

Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut in space, collected the rock sample during Apollo 14

January 28, 2019

Trending Today

Brazilian Mine Disaster Leaves 58 Dead, 200 Missing

Mine waste and sludge have contaminated a huge stretch of the Paraopeba River

January 28, 2019

Neanderthals Used Spears to Hunt Targets From Afar

New analysis adds to growing body of literature suggesting these early human ancestors were more advanced than previously believed

January 28, 2019

CDC Cautions Against Kissing Pet Hedgehogs

The prickly critters have been linked to a recent salmonella outbreak

January 28, 2019

This Ancient Reptile Had a Small Head, Tiny Eyes and a Platypus-Like Bill

Even paleobiologists find Eretmorhipis carrolldongi strange

January 25, 2019

Rocking Isn’t Just for Babies. It Helps Adults—and Mice—Fall Asleep, Too

Two new studies outline benefits including increased sleep quality, improved memory skills

January 25, 2019