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Smart News / Smart News Science

Climate justice protestors in Doha.

It’s the Final Day of the Doha Climate Talks, And, Uh, Did Anything Actually Happen?

Reports from Doha don’t provide much hope that any progress has been made on the increasingly urgent issue of global climate change

Middle School Jocks Actually Get the Best Grades

The fittest kids on the playground are also the ones who excel in the classroom at standardized tests and good grades

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Lions Are Disappearing From Africa

Research shows that lions are quickly disappearing across Africa’s once-thriving Savannah due to human population growth and massive land use conversion

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Extroverted Gorillas Live Longer Than Shy Ones

Here’s How to Make a Scorpion Bomb

Want to keep your enemies at bay? How about throwing a jar of scorpions at them?

“Nothing tells us more about the spread of humans across the Earth than city lights” – NOAA.

Black Marble, Interrupted: Our Mark on the Night Sky, From Space

NASA scientists created global composite images using cloud-free nights to reveal an unprecedented look at how our planet appears at night

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Birds Harness the Deadly Power of Nicotine to Kill Parasites

And city birds are stuffing their nests with cigarette butts to poison potential parasites

A thermal image of a lying subject gives away his bright red nose.

Like Pinocchio, When You Lie, Your Nose Gives You Away

When a person lies, the area on and around the nose increases in temperature, giving away the anxiety lurking below the surface of an otherwise cool facade

Find Out How Stressed Out Your Dog Really Is

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Lobsters Have Age-Revealing Rings, Just Like Trees

Scientists have figured out a way to determine the age of your lobster

Frogfish Might Look Like Sponges, But They’re Super Fast

Frogfish are really good at blending in with their environment - particularly with the sponges that they live on. But they’re also crazy fast hunters

Are People Who Are Obsessed With Themselves Actually Hotter?

Being narcissistic also tends to make you more physically attractive

A DNA molecule

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Humans Have Been Evolving Like Crazy Over the Past Few Thousand Years

The past 5 to 10 thousand years have seen a surge in human genetic diversity

Like Snowbirds Heading to Florida, Galapagos Tortoises Head to the Mountains for the Cold Season

Birds do it, butterflies do it, and now, we know that Galapagos giant tortoises do it, too - but why?

Divers explore Kauai’s reefs

A Mysterious Disease Is Killing Hawaii’s Coral

Conservationists and divers alike are on edge over a mysterious disease sweeping through coral reefs in Kauai

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Eating Whale Meat Is Going Out of Vogue in Japan

Whale meat elicits a “meh” response from young Japanese these days, but global citizens continue to cry foul

Bacteria reside amongst the icy brine from Lake Vida.

Bacterial Life Abounds in Antarctic Lake, Cut Off From the World for 2,800 Years

From a frozen Antarctic lake, researchers pulled samples teeming with bacteria

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How Seriously Might Climate Negotiators Be Dooming The Rest of Us This Week?

The COP18 climate change conference is going on in Doha, Qatar until December 7th

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Ambient Noise Spurs Creativity

Modest ambient noise - like that found in a coffee shop or cafe - triggers the part of our brain responsible for abstract and creative thinking

Antarctic Animals Are Dissolving

Scientists have warned about ocean acidification for years, but now it’s actually happening

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