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Smart News / Smart News Science

Repair crews inspect for damage after the 2011 Virginia earthquake.

Hurricanes May Cause Earthquakes

In August 2011, the Virginia earthquake shook the east coast. Days later, Hurricane Irene may have caused more earthquakes

Invasive Lionfish Are Like a Living, Breathing, Devastating Oil Spill

Meet the lionfish - the poisonous and ravenous fish that is making its way across the Atlantic ocean like a slowly crawling, devastating oil spill

A meteor from the Lyrids burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere, as seen from the International Space Station.

Keep An Eye to the Sky: Annual Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend

Late Sunday night and early Monday morning, you may catch the annual Lyrid meteor shower

Artists illustrations of the previously known Kepler 22b, and the new 69c, 62e and 62f line up next to Earth.

Has This Week Been Too Much? Scientists Discover Potentially Habitable Exoplanet

Three new potentially habitable exoplanets may be this week’s only good news.

Can Stress Really Make Your Hair Fall Out?

It’s a common cartoon trope, but it’s actually true, in a way.

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Crowds Help Robots Repair Damaged Coral Reefs

A team of Scottish scientists hopes to raise $107,000 to build coral reef repairing robots

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Dogs May Live Longer If They Are “Fixed”

A new study shows spayed dogs live a year and a half longer, on average, than their fertile counterparts

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Why Rodents Can’t Throw Up, In Case You Were Wondering

A combination of physiology and neurology prevents these hairy little guys from being able to upchuck

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Dark Lightning Is Just One of the Crazy Types of Lightning You’ve Never Heard Of

Dark Lightning is not the only weird form of lightning you’ve probably never heard of

China’s Deadly New Bird Flu Is Spreading

With 64 reported cases over the past two weeks, H7N9 is spreading

Drought in western Kentucky

Don’t Blame the Awful U.S. Drought on Climate Change

Scientists can attribute particular natural disasters to climate change—just not the 2012 Great Plains drought

An Asiatic black bear, also known as a moon bear

Brain Surgery Performed on a Bear for the First Time

Champa the bear has made a swift recovery following surgery at her bear sanctuary in Laos

Climate Change Could Make Us Choose Between Wine And Pandas

According to the new models, around 70 percent of the area currently suitable or used for grape growing could be gone by 2050

Can We Use Umami to Get People to Eat Better?

Research into umami has unlocked answers about our preferences, our recipes, and perhaps how to correct our crash course with obesity

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All the Conditions Required for Life to Appear Are Here, in Antarctica’s Amazing Ice Stalactites

Brinicles, more than ice fingers of death, may have driven the formation of life

How Women May Have Shaped Men’s Penises

Whether women’s preference is indeed solely responsible for driving the way penises look today remains an open-ended question, however

Adélie penguins on Beaufort Island

Climate Change Means More Adélie Penguins

Climate change seems to be giving an unexpected boost to this penguin species

Happier Couples Tend to Gain More Weight Over Time

Couple whose relationship is on the rocks or who are considering divorce may maintain the appearances in order to attract other mates

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer aboard the ISS.

Did We Just Find Dark Matter?

The physics world is buzzing over new evidence for dark matter. We break it down for you

Celebrate Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month By Reporting These Horrifying Species

April 1st marks the beginning of Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, but how does somebody celebrate?

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