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Smart News / Smart News Science

New Research

This New Zealand Natural Wonder Is Probably Gone for Good

A new study reconfirms that the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed by a volcano in 1886 and can’t be dug up

Bermuda

A Unique Enzyme Gives Bermuda Fireworms Their Glow

A new study reveals the secret to the invertebrates’ dazzling mating ritual

Trending Today

Fire Closes Yosemite Valley Indefinitely

Smoke and flames from the Ferguson Fire have closed the roads to the National Park’s most popular attraction at the height of tourist season

One-fifth of the men who presided over the Roman Empire were assassinated

Why Roman Emperors Were More Likely to Be Assassinated During Droughts

Low rainfall leads to poor harvests, starving troops, more mutinies and higher risk of regicide

Do you smell something, Bob?

New Research

Ocean Acidification Is Frying Fish’s Sense of Smell

By the end of the century, the ocean is predicted to become two-and-a-half times more acidic, which is bad news for sea life.

Wild-caught elephants live shorter lives and reproduce poorly in captivity

Captured Elephants Die Up to Seven Years Sooner Than Those Bred in Captivity

Myanmar’s wild-captured elephants exhibited median lifespan three to seven years shorter than that of captive-born creatures

A view of the Perseid meteor shower over Northern Ireland in 2017.

Why This Year’s Perseid Meteor Shower Promises to Be Especially Dazzling

Thanks to the moon’s conspicuous absence, those looking up at peak viewing hours will see 60-70 shooting stars every hour

Many friendly foxes carried a version of a gene that differed from their feral counterparts.

New Research

What the Fox Genome Tells Us About Domestication

After only a few decades of domestic breeding, friendly foxes have social behavior woven into their genes

These ephemeral puddles are the birthplace, home and grave of the killifish.

New Research

Meet the Fish That Grows Up in Just 14 Days

The turquoise killifish, which lives in ephemeral pools in Mozambique, progresses from embryo to sexual maturity faster than any other vertebrate

Blood-Sucking Invasive Tick Species Spreading Across United States

The Asian long-horned tick has not yet been found to harbor deadly pathogens, but it poses serious risks to animals

Hospital Superbug May Be Developing Tolerance to Hand Sanitizers

Australian researchers have found that a strain of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is able to survive after being exposed to alcohol solutions

Dog urine conveys an array of information, including its owner's sex, age and reproductive status

Why Small Dogs Go Above and Beyond to Mark Their Territory

Tinier males tend to lift their legs at higher angles, perhaps to exaggerate size and competitive ability

Trending Today

CO2 Levels Reached an 800,000-year High in 2017

That’s just one of many sobering facts about our changing world in the “State of the Climate in 2017” report released late last week

New Research

Birds Can Learn “Foreign” Languages to Stay Safe

The superb fairywren was able to learn a new alarm call just by listening to the warnings of other species

This science is poppin’

Popcorn-Powered Robots? Get ‘Em While They’re Hot!

In an attempt to harness the power of pop, researchers went against the grain to push the boundaries of this staple starch

Researchers studied the cremated remains of between 10 and 25 individuals interred at Stonehenge

Why Did the Welsh Bury Their Dead at Stonehenge?

Study suggests cremated remains found at the site belong to outsiders who may have brought stones from Welsh quarry, aided monument’s construction

After Being Stolen in Baby Stroller, Miss Helen the Shark Is Back at San Antonio Aquarium

Two men and one woman are suspected of swiping Miss Helen in a planned heist

New Research

Did George Orwell Pick Up TB During the Spanish Civil War?

A new technique was able to pull tuberculosis bacteria and morphine residue from a letter the author sent in 1938, ten years befor his diagnosis

An Australian City Beats Dengue Fever Using Special Mosquitoes

There has not been a case of the disease in Townsville for four years after the release of insects carrying a naturally occurring bacteria

The New Zealand Tomtit is one of the island-dwelling species included in the study

Why Island Birds Have Bigger Brains Than Their Mainland Counterparts

Researchers measured the brain sizes of 11,554 birds, including representatives of 110 island-dwelling species and 1,821 continental species

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