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Smart News / Smart News Science

Cloth Coated in Fish Sperm DNA Doesn’t Burn

Coated in sperm DNA and set on fire, this cotton cloth just doesn’t want to burn

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Eclipses Look Even More Gorgeous From Outer Space

With roiling red Sun and the black disk of Earth, eclipses don’t get much prettier than this

A map showing increasing (blue) and decreasing (red) plant growth over the past 30 years.

A Warming Climate Is Turning the Arctic Green

The world is getting warmer, and the Arctic is getting greener

This lion is hungry–for meatloaf!

Can Humans and Lions Truly Be Friends?

They’ve certainly tried

Life on Earth May Have Been Seeded by Comets

Researchers at UC Berkeley recently added evidence to the idea that life on earth came from a comet

Female Butterflies Can Sniff Out Inbred Males

Unlike in humans, butterfly females can actually distinguish between inbred and outbred males by their scent

We did it! Gold stars for everybody!

2012 Saw the Second Highest Carbon Emissions in Half a Century

For more than 50 years observations from Hawaii have tracked rising carbon dioxide. We’re still ignoring those warnings

A black and white (left) and color (right) map of Mercury’s surface.

Behold, The First Full Map of Mercury

“Every square meter of Mercury’s surface” in one gorgeous map

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2000-Pound Camels Used to Live in the Arctic

Living in the forest alongside bears and beavers, the ancient Canadian Arctic camel

Will these cows look good with my outfit?

Buy a Handbag, Burn a Forest

Brazilian deforestation is tied to producers of luxury Italian leather goods

Animals Can Help Kids With Autism More Than Toys Can

Recently, researchers explored the potential for therapy animals to help kids with autism, and found that they were more effective than toys

A statue of Richard the Lionheart in London

A Forensic Analysis of Richard the Lionheart’s Heart

Richard the Lionheart was buried without his heart, and a modern forensic analysis just unveiled how it was preserved

Being a Soccer Fan Can Actually Kill You

During the 2006 World Cup watching a soccer game doubled the risk of a heart attack in German fans

The baby who was cured of HIV hasn’t been identified, but here’s another random picture of a baby in a hospital.

Mississippi Baby Might Have Been Cured of HIV

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say they have cured a baby of HIV using standard HIV drugs very early in life

American Football Players Aren’t the Only Ones With Head Injury Issues

Soccer players who head the ball could be injuring their brains, as well

A Chinook helicopter caries supplies to the stranded Kulluk oil drilling platform in January.

Arctic Drilling Is On Hiatus As Shell Packs It In

After a string of mishaps, Shell is pausing their bid to drill the Arctic seas

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Could Spider Silk Stop a Moving Train?

Spiderman really could have stopped that train from falling, so long as his silk resembled that produced by the Darwin’s bark spider

Carbon capture and storage equipment in Germany.

Canadian Government Winds Down Research That Could Help Stop Climate Change

If carbon dioxide emissions don’t start dropping in the next few decades, we’re looking at hundreds of years of high temperatures

A giant goldfish recovered from Lake Tahoe.

Giant Goldfish Have Invaded Lake Tahoe

Populations of native fish have decreased tenfold in Lake Tahoe, and this new invader could only exacerbate the situation

A naturally occurring aurora in Alaska.

Lighting Up the Arctic Sky With Artificial Aurorae

The U.S. military’s Naval Research Lab teamed up with university researchers and defense contractors to set the atmosphere aglow

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