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Smart News / Smart News Science

Hiroshima the day after the nuclear bomb was dropped.

Researchers Identify How Much Radiation Hiroshima Victims Were Exposed to

The scientists say their research is the first to use a human bone to precisely measure the radiation absorbed by an atomic bombing victim

Illustration of NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight).

Five Things to Know About NASA’s InSight Mission to Mars

This Saturday, the craft will launch on its mission to search for clues about the Red Planet’s interior

Trending Today

Pakistan’s Searing April Temperatures Set New Global Record

On Monday, the city of Nawabshah reached 122.4 degrees Fahrenheit, causing heatstroke, power outages and general misery

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Future of Art

Experience Some of the World’s Most Polluted Cities in This Exhibit

The art installation was recently on display in London

This Is the Longest Straight-Line Ocean Path Around the Earth

But don’t go hauling your boats out just yet

Trending Today

Yellowstone’s Biggest Geyser, Steamboat, Has Trio of Eruptions

It’s the first triple eruption in 15 years—but don’t worry, it’s not a sign the Yellowstone volcano is ready to blow

A San Quintin kangaroo rat at rest in the field.

Cool Finds

This Kangaroo Rat Was Just Spotted For the First Time in 30 years

A native to Baja California, the San Quintín kangaroo rat hopped back into researchers’ lives last summer

Each caterpillar of the oak processionary moth have about 62,000 hairs that contain a protein called thaumetopoein, which causes rashes, asthma attacks and vomiting.

Londoners Beware: These Toxic Caterpillars Cause Rashes and Asthma

The caterpillars were accidentally introduced to Britain in 2005

Good old Number 16 in happier times

New Research

The World’s Oldest Known Spider Has Died at Age 43

The female trapdoor spider ruled over her burrow in the Australian outback until a parasitic wasp attacked

Future of Art

Comet “Snowstorm” Swirling in This Stunning GIF Is a Tricky Illusion

“Things are not quite as they seem,” explains astronomer Mark McCaughrean

Future of Art

Watch Cells Move Within Living Animals in This Breathtaking Footage

The new microscope technique incorporates cutting-edge technology to capture spectacular imagery of cellular activity

Cabral's image, now disqualified, was one of the winners of the 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Contest Judges Rule Wildlife Photography Winner Used Taxidermic Creature

Brazilian photographer Marcio Cabral has been disqualified and can not enter the competition in the future

Cool Finds

Fossil Tracks May Record Ancient Humans Hunting Giant Sloths

The tracks suggest a human—perhaps in search of food—closely followed the movements of the massive creature

Scientists have accidentally created a "mutant enzyme" that can break down plastic.

This “Mutant Enzyme” Breaks Down Plastic

It’s definitely cool—but probably won’t solve our plastics problem

This visualization is based on the first three-dimensional numerical model of melting snowflakes in the atmosphere, developed by scientist Jussi Leinonen of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Watch This 3D Snowflake Model Melt Over and Over Again

It’s not only mesmerizing, it could help researchers predict the hazards of wet snow

Gaia's all-sky view of our Milky Way Galaxy and neighboring galaxies, based on measurements of nearly 1.7 billion stars.

New Research

New Star Map Could Change Everything We Know About the Milky Way

The map includes 1.7 billion stars and is already revealing new details about star evolution and the formation of our galaxy

Trending Today

The EPA Declared That Burning Wood Is Carbon Neutral. It’s Actually a Lot More Complicated

Here are five things to know about the controversial change

Salt Lake City, Utah, pictured here, ranks number eight for short-term particle pollution.

These Are the Cities With the Worst Air Pollution

More than 4 in 10 Americans live with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to a new report

Giant, Intact Egg of the Extinct Elephant Bird Found in Buffalo Museum

Fewer than 40 such eggs are held in public collections today

The gut flora of dogs and humans is incredibly similar, a new study finds.

A Surprising Way Dogs Are Similar to Humans

We share more than snuggles and and a love of walks; canines and humans have similar gut microbiota

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