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Smart News / Smart News Science

New Research

Gene Editing Treats Muscular Dystrophy in Dogs

CRISPR gene editing has relieved symptoms of a canine version of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in four puppies, raising hope for humans

Mexican Fireleg Tarantula

Thousands of Creepy Crawlies Stolen From Philadelphia Insectarium

Police suspect three current or former employees swiped the animals

Murky lakes contain high quantities of both algae and organic matter. Lakes bearing such greenish-brown or brownish-green tints tend to be of low water quality

America’s Lakes Are Losing Their Blue Hue as Waters Shift to Murky Greenish-Brown

Over five-year period, the country’s number of blue lakes declined by 18 percent, while murky lakes increased by 12 percent

A Burmese python that was captured in Florida's Everglades National Park.

Newly Discovered Hybrid Pythons Are Threatening Florida’s Wildlife

A new study has found that some invasive Burmese pythons carry DNA from another snake, which could make them more adaptable—and more dangerous

Artist's rendering of COSMOS-AzTEC-1.

New Research

Monster Galaxy Churns Out 1,000 Times As Many Stars As Our Own

COSMOS-AzTEC-1 is almost 13 billion years old highly organized but unstable and could shed light on galaxy evolution

Is it just instinct?

New Research

New Zealand Penguins Make an Epic, Pointless, Swim to the Southern Ocean

A new satellite study shows the penguins travel over 4,000 miles to feed, even though their home shores are teeming with food

New Research

Climate Change Likely Iced Neanderthals Out Of Existence

Climate records gathered from stalagmites in Romanian caves show two extremely cold dry periods correspond with the disappearance of Neanderthals

Goats either prefer humans that sport a grin or make an effort to avoid those with a grimace, a new study shows.

Goats May Prefer Happy Human Faces

A new study found that goats gravitate towards images of smiling people, suggesting that they can distinguish between human expressions

Monks likely used the disc-shaped gaming board to play Hnefatafl, a Norse strategy game that pits a king and his defenders against two dozen attackers, during the 7th or 8th century

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Medieval Game Board During Search for Lost Monastery

Scotland’s oldest surviving manuscript, the Book of Deer, was written by monks living in the Aberdeenshire monastery

Cool Finds

Meet the Rosehip Neuron: A Newly Discovered Cell in the Human Brain

The neuron is not found within lab mice, possibly explaining why mouse studies often do not translate to human brains

DNA of Extinct Cave Bear Lives on in Modern Brown Bears

A new genetic study has found that the two species interbred

The Franklin Expedition hoped to find a northwest passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific

Lead Poisoning Wasn’t a Major Factor in the Mysterious Demise of the Franklin Expedition

Researchers argue that lead exposure occurred prior to the start of the voyage, not during the stranded crew’s battle for survival

These deficiencies are just the starting point for much bigger problems.

New Research

Climate Change Could Lead to Nutrient Deficiency for Hundreds of Millions

Carbon dioxide decreases zinc, iron and protein in food crops, which could add millions of people to the billions who don’t get enough nutrition

Extinct Baby Horse—Its Skin and Hair Intact—Found in the Siberian Permafrost

The foal lived between 30,000-40,000 years ago

Trending Today

Sniffer Dogs Represent the Latest Weapon in the Fight Against the Illegal Ivory Trade

A new system at Kenya’s port of Mombasa allows dogs to detect elephant tusk, rhino horn and other illegal goods with one quick sniff

In July 1942, the "Lost Squadron," a unit consisting of two B-17 bomber planes and six P-38 fighters, landed on a remote Greenlandic glacier

Cool Finds

The Wreck of a WWII Fighter Plane Will Be Unearthed from a Greenland Glacier

The P-38 fighter is a member of the famed Lost Squadron, which landed on ice caps after running afoul of poor weather in July 1942

Chihuahuas were one of the top three breeds represented in the study's sample of more than 900 shelter dogs

Genetic Testing Shows Animal Shelters Often Misidentify Dogs’ Breeds

Shelter staff correctly identified a pup’s primary or secondary breed just 67 percent of the time

Artist's rendering of "Orbital Reflector," a reflective space sculpture set to be launched into space this October

Art Meets Science

Astronomers Say This Reflective Space Sculpture Will Cause Unneeded Light Pollution. The Artist Argues Otherwise

‘Orbital Reflector,’ a 100-foot long, diamond-shaped balloon, aims to inspire humans to gaze up at the night sky with a renewed sense of wonder

This 1685 map of Pisa shows the city's connection to the Arno River, which spills into an arm of the Mediterranean

Like a Reverse Atlantis, This Legendary Harbor Ended When Its Sea Route Dried Up

Researchers believe the changing environment doomed ‘Portus Pisanus,’ a harbor once considered lost to time

Giraffe pillows and hide for sale in Florida.

Trending Today

Americans Have a Surprisingly Large Appetite for Giraffe Parts

An investigation shows 40,000 giraffe products representing 4,000 of the endangered animals have been legally imported over the last decade

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