Smart News Science

Large amounts of plastic trash accumulated in Ballona Creek in Culver City, California.

Plastic-Degrading Enzymes May Be Increasing in Response to Pollution

One in every four organisms in the microbiomes they surveyed carries a plastic-degrading protein sequence

In the video, Wheaton, a veterinarian, and his board appear tiny compared to the colossal bony fish. While the sunfish's dimensions are unknown, when comparing it to Wheaton's 14 foot-long board, the sunfish may have been anywhere between nine to ten feet long. (Pictured: Matt Wheaton)

Holy Mola! Watch This Colossal Ocean Sunfish Swim With Paddle Boarders Off the California Coast

Also known as a mola, the fish are harmless to people but are extremely curious and will approach divers

While the nebula can be observed in visible light (as seen in the image above), it gets its name from how brightly it also appears when viewed in infrared wavelengths of light.  

Hidden Within This Wispy, Butterfly Wing–Shaped Nebula, a Star Is Born

The image of a budding celestial body reveals clues as to what happens before it becomes a full-fledged star

Since the Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018, it's been orbiting the sun and inching closer with every loop.

For the First Time Ever, a NASA Spacecraft Has 'Touched' the Sun

The Parker Solar Probe reached the sun's upper atmosphere, gathering data along the way to help scientists better understand the center of our solar system

The Food and Drug Administration could authorize the experimental pill within days.

Pfizer Says Covid-19 Pill Is Effective and Likely Works Against Omicron

The drug helps those already infected, but experts say vaccination is the best way to prevent contracting and spreading the virus

The agencies will monitor Justin Packshaw and Jamie Facer Childs’ health as they trek across the icy continent over the next few months.

Space Agencies Track Two Explorers Across Antarctica to Prepare People for Mars

The 80-day mission is testing the limits of the human body in a harsh environment

In the video, the giant jellyfish's large bell is seen pulsing and glowing a faint orange as it floats in the dark abyss.

Watch This Giant Phantom Jellyfish With 33-Foot-Long Arms Float Through the Deep Ocean

The footage was captured by a remote-operated vehicle about 3,200 feet below the surface in Monterey Bay, California

The carnivorous theropods may have evolved a quick pace and sharp agility in order to capture prey.

These Three-Toed, Carnivorous Dinosaurs Ran as Fast as Usain Bolt

Two tracks of footprints reveal that theropods could reach speeds of nearly 28 miles per hour, providing insights on their behavior

On average, December has about 24 twisters in the United States per year. However, tornados occurring as far north as Illinois and Kentucky are highly uncommon for early winter.  

At Least 100 Feared Dead After December Twisters Slam Midwestern and Southern States

The rare winter event was a result of abnormal weather patterns exacerbated by La Niña and global warming

A photographer captured Thomas Edison asleep in his workshop in 1904. 

Need a Creative Boost? Nap Like Thomas Edison and Salvador Dalí

Waking up just after dozing off seems to be a science-backed source of inspiration

The hydra’s unusual ability to regenerate parts of its body makes the creatures biologically immortal. 

How Tiny, 'Immortal' Hydras Regrow Their Lost Heads

A new analysis pinpoints different genes behind the tiny animal's ability to regenerate body parts

Canon's new SPAD sensors work by amplifying a single photon that enters the sensor's pixels into large amounts of electrical energy pulses. This allows the camera to see objects in areas with small amounts of light.  

Canon's New Image Sensor Can See in Almost-Total Darkness

The tech can capture images in only one-tenth of the brightness required by other devices

A satellite positioned nearly a million miles away from Earth captured the eclipse over Antarctica.

Watch a Total Solar Eclipse Cloak Antarctica in Complete Darkness

The astronomical event occurred during the continent's summer, when the sun never sets and the whole region is illuminated 24 hours a day

Healthy reef habitats are usually alive with the diverse sounds of marine life.

Bizarre Fish Songs Raise Hope for Coral Reef Recovery

Audio recordings show a once-dying ecosystem has transformed into a lively soundscape

Scientists previously hypothesized that Quetzalcoatlus took off by running and flapping its wings or pushing off its wingtips. 

This Giraffe-Sized Reptile Was the Largest Flying Creature to Ever Live

The pterosaur likely launched itself about eight feet off the ground before flapping away, solving the mystery of how these creatures could even fly at all

Sandro Botticelli's La nascita di Venere, or Venus' Birth was painted on canvas with tempera paints.

Art Meets Science

Egg Yolk Gives Tempera Paint Its Enhanced Coverage and Spreadable Properties

The paint has been used throughout human history and is featured in iconic art pieces, like Michelangelo's 'Manchester Madonna'

Frozen DNA evidence trapped in soil suggests that mammoth and wild horse populations petered out slowly, instead of vanishing quickly.

Mammoth and Horse DNA Left in Freezer Rewrite Ice Age Extinctions

New research reveals the ancient animals survived some 8,000 years later than previously thought

To view the wings without damaging the delicate cells, the research team used speckle-correlation reflection phase microscopy. This type of microscopy works by shinning tiny points of light onto a specific area on the wing.

See Microscopic Butterfly Wing Scales Materialize Inside of a Chrysalis

The study is the most detailed look at the structures to date and could be used to design new materials

Catching problems through replication early on can prevent cancer patients from getting their hopes up about early studies dubbed "promising."

Why Replicating Cancer Research Is Important—but Often Unsuccessful

An eight-year-long study reveals that only about half of early-stage cancer experiments are able to produce the same results as the initial experiment

Human-caused pollution is killing the seagrass that manatees feed on.

Florida Wildlife Officials Move to Feed Starving Manatees in Experimental Conservation Approach

The unprecedented feeding plan comes as more than 1,000 manatees—about 15 percent of the state’s total population—have died this year

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