Smart News / Smart News Science

New Research

One-Tenth of Native Mammals in Australia Are Extinct: Blame Cats And Foxes

No other country on Earth has lost a greater proportion of land mammals over the last two centuries; now, a new study zeros in on the cause

February 11, 2015

New Research

Human Languages Skew Positive

We’re all a bunch of pollyannas

February 11, 2015

Cool Finds

Why 2015 Is Shaping Up to Be Another Good Year for Snowy Owls

Ornithologists are tracking the second major snowy owl southern migration in as many years, indicating that the birds’ numbers are still going strong

February 10, 2015

Cool Finds

These Bells Play Seismic Shifts

Watch as UC Berkeley’s bells play the earth’s “natural frequencies”

February 10, 2015

New Research

Pulsing Stars Flicker in a Pattern Close to the Golden Ratio

The famed ratio, which shows up in art, architecture and nature, can also be found in space

February 10, 2015

New Research

Gene Changes Make Humans’ Sense of Taste Unique

Our ability to eat bitter plants help distinguish us from our ancestors and chimpanzees today

February 9, 2015

New Research

The Universe’s Oldest Stars Likely Lit Up Way Later Than Once Thought

Data gathered by the European Space Agency’s Planck telescope indicates that the universe was dark for about 550 million years after the big bang

February 9, 2015

New Research

Chimpanzees May Have Their Own Form of Bilingualism

Humans aren’t the only primates capable of learning new “words” for the same object

February 9, 2015

Cool Finds

Neil Armstrong Had a Secret Stash of Moon Stuff

“Lost” Apollo 11 artifacts are now found

February 9, 2015

Cool Finds

Invasive, Acid-Spraying Ants in Hawaii Are Deforming Native Seabird Chicks

The ground-dwelling chicks are pestered by invasive ants spraying acid

February 6, 2015

New Research

A Setback for HIV Prevention Trial: Getting People To Take the Medicine

Women didn’t take their preventative medications, even those proven to work, for fear of side effects

February 6, 2015

New Research

Pigeons’ Brains Work Kind of Like Ours

A small study showed impressive categorizing abilities in three pigeons

February 6, 2015

New Research

Before Agriculture, Human Jaws Were a Perfect Fit for Human Teeth

The emergence of agricultural practices initiated major changes to the jaw structure of ancient humans, leading to dental problems we still experience

February 6, 2015

Trending Today

Starving Sea Lions Are Piling Up on California Beaches

It’s the third year of a crisis that’s confusing scientists

February 6, 2015

New Research

How Space Travel Can Damage Our Immune Systems

Research finds that living in low-gravity conditions can take a toll that goes far beyond an aversion to dehydrated foods

February 6, 2015

New Research

Life-Giving Rain Also Spreads Deadly Plant Disease

High-speed cameras show how leaf flexibility influences raindrop dispersal into the air — along with pathogens picked up from infected plants

February 5, 2015

New Research

Creating Drought-Tolerant Plants By Hacking Their Natural Responses

Which new technique will help plants survive with less water?

February 5, 2015

Trending Today

Private Space Investments Will Reach $10 Billion This Year

Make way for money—investors are bullish on space

February 5, 2015

New Research

North America’s Trees Create Some of the World’s Hottest Forest Fires

What makes certain forest fires especially destructive?

February 5, 2015

New Research

A Green Sea Slug Steals Power From Algae

The discovery makes this a true plant-animal hybrid

February 4, 2015