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Smart News / Smart News Science

New Research

Yes, Sperm Counts Have Been Steadily Declining—But Don’t Freeze Your Sperm Yet

The study is a striking reminder of how much science has to learn about these little wrigglers

Angelenos wearing smog masks at a banquet, circa 1954.

This 1943 “Hellish Cloud” Was the Most Vivid Warning of LA’s Smog Problems to Come

Southern California–and LA in particular–continue to struggle with smog

Kyara swimming next to her mother, Takara. At the time of her death, Kyara was just three months old.

Trending Today

Last Orca Born at SeaWorld Dies

The three-month-old creature succumbed to a case of pneumonia, according to the park

The degenerative disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, is common in football players, boxers, veterans and others exposed to head trauma.

New Research

Disease Found in 99 Percent of Brains Donated by NFL Families

The degenerative brain disease develops after repeated concussions or blows to the head

Underwater Robot Spots Possible Melted Nuclear Fuel in Fukushima Reactor

Identifying the location of the fuel is a vital step in the decontamination process

Colors on this satellite image show areas where water was detected in ancient pyroclastic flows on the Moon's surface

New Research

Water May Lurk Beneath the Moon’s Surface

The surprising abundance of water could help future lunar settlers survive in the barren landscape

Snooty, World’s Oldest Captive Manatee, Dies in Accident

The 69-year-old sea cow was the mascot for the South Florida Museum

Marianne Nyegaard poses next to a beached hoodwinker sunfish near Christchurch, New Zealand.

Cool Finds

Found: New Species of Ocean Sunfish, the World’s Largest Bony Fish

After identifying genetic traces of the creature, one researcher spent years searching for the aquatic beast

Looking out at Earth from the Cupola Observation Module of the International Space Station on Google Street View

Cool Finds

Explore the International Space Station With Google Street View

An astronaut and Google mapped the ISS for Street View with a DSLR and a lot of patience

Trending Today

Apollo 11 Moon Rock Bag Sells for $1.8 Million in Controversial Auction

NASA waged an unsuccessful legal battle to retrieve the bag, which contains traces of lunar dust, from a private collection

Bile bears on a farm in Vietnam

Trending Today

Vietnam Commits to Shut Down Bear Bile Farms

Though the new agreement is promising, the practice remains prevalent throughout China and southeast Asia

Of the 9 billion tons of plastic the world has produced, only nine percent is recycled.

Humans Have Produced Nine Billion Tons of Plastic and Counting

Over half of that material was created in the last decade

Thousands of Mysterious Yellow “Sponges” Wash Up On French Beaches

Though experts were initially stumped, the substance has now been identified

A captive wolf greets a stranger in an experiment testing the sociability of dogs and their ancestors

What Makes Fido So Friendly? It Could Be Genetic

Mutations in several genes linked to hypersocial behavior in people may have helped along canine domestication

One wave of domestication or two? The debate rages on.

New Research

New Study Has a Bone to Pick With Dog Domestication Findings

Contrary to past research, a new DNA study suggests fido was only tamed once

Computer modeling of the stress on a T. rex skeleton showed that the dinosaur couldn't handle running

The Fierce T. Rex Was a Walker Not a Sprinter

A good pair of running shoes could help you escape the formidable beast, study finds

New Research

“Space Archaeologists” to Examine the International Space Station

Using millions of photos and documents, researchers will reconstruct life on the ISS to see how visitors interact with their tools and each other

New Research

What Is the Key to Predict Animal Speed?

The biggest animals aren’t always the fastest

Adorable Drone Helps Document Experiments on the International Space Station

Cute as a button, the Int-Ball is taking over astronauts’ photographic duties

This still from an animation created by NASA shows some of the mountains and craters observed by the New Horizons satellite.

Take a Trip Around Pluto and Charon With These New Animations

Two years after its fly-by, NASA releases maps and videos made with data from New Horizons

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