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Smart News / Smart News Science

A composite image showing multiple stages of 2019's solar eclipse as seen from Chile.

This Handheld Device Allows Blind People to Experience the Solar Eclipse With Their Ears

The technology, which translates the intensity of sunlight into a range of sounds, was designed to make eclipses more accessible to visually impaired people

This staircase, part of an active construction site, has been preserved since the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Pompeii Find Ancient Construction Site, Undisturbed Since Vesuvius’ Eruption

The discovery is cluing researchers into the techniques used to build Rome’s most remarkable structures

Black-capped chickadees' ability to remember where they've stashed food helps them survive barren winters.

Black-Capped Chickadees Are Masters of Memory—and Scientists Are Finding Out Why

The small birds use brain “barcodes” to remember where they stash food, according to new research

In the lab, researchers tested soil samples dating to the first or early second century C.E.

New Research

Microplastics Are Contaminating Ancient Archaeological Sites

New research suggests plastic particles may pose a threat to the preservation of historic remains

One difference between resident and transient killer whales is their fins. Residents have more rounded, curved dorsal fins, while those of transients are straighter and more pointed.

Two New Species of Killer Whale Should Be Recognized, Study Says

A couple of eastern North Pacific populations of orcas have qualities that set them apart, according to researchers

The digital reconstruction of Emperor Wu's face (left), alongside a painting made of him from the 'Thirteen Emperors Scroll' (right).

See The Face of Emperor Wu, a Sixth-Century Chinese Ruler Brought to Life with DNA Analysis

Genetic analysis of DNA from his skeleton offers not only a first glimpse at his face, but also insight into his mysterious death

Several species of birds participated in the study, including this hyacinth macaw.

Watch Pet Parrots Learn to Play Tablet Games—With Their Tongues

Scientists are studying how the intelligent, social birds interact with touchscreens to help design mobile apps that serve as enrichment for the birds

Melting ice redistributes mass to Earth's equator, slowing its spin rate. Changes in Earth's spin affect its synchronization with atomic clocks.

Melting Polar Ice Sheets Are Slowing Earth’s Rotation. That Could Change How We Keep Time

As ice melts into water and flows toward the equator, it redistributes mass around the Earth, affecting the planet’s spin, a new study finds

The container ship Dali hit Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, causing the entire structure to fall within seconds.

Cargo Ships Keep Getting Bigger, and Infrastructure Is Racing to Keep Up

A massive container ship hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge this week, calling attention to the demands that ever-growing shipping vessels are placing on ports, canals and bridges

Study participants who reported eating during shorter time frames were more likely to die from heart disease during the period of the study.

Intermittent Fasting Linked to Higher Risk of Death From Heart Disease, Preliminary Study Finds

New research challenges the idea that restricting eating to a limited time frame is beneficial—though the work has some notable limitations, such as a reliance on self-reported eating habits

A new machine learning model may be able to help brewers save time and money on consumer trials, make more consistent products and improve their recipes, scientists say.

Can A.I. Make Beer Taste Better? Scientists Test a Model That Recommends New Flavors

Researchers spent three years developing a machine learning model that can predict how good beer will taste based on its chemical composition—and make suggestions for how to improve it

The new image of the Milky Way's black hole, seen in polarized light. It shows the organized magnetic fields that surround the black hole itself, from which no light can escape.

Astronomers Capture Dazzling New Image of the Black Hole at the Milky Way’s Center

The first image of the black hole taken in polarized light, the new view shows the supermassive structure’s magnetic fields and hints that it could be hiding an enormous jet

State and federal officials say the milk from the infected cows had been discarded and destroyed. This cow, photographed in 2016, is not one of those infected.

Bird Flu Confirmed in U.S. Dairy Cows for the First Time, but Milk Supply Is Unaffected, Officials Say

Tests detected the virus at two farms in Texas and two farms in Kansas, but officials and scientists stress commercial dairy products remain safe to consume

The Moon's North Pole

Why Scientists Are Calling for the Moon to Be Better Protected From Development

Only a few lunar sites are ideal for certain cutting-edge research—and they’re under threat from mining, satellites and bases, scientists argue

Japanese tits have previously been observed combining different calls into phrases to convey meanings. The birds may also use their wings to signal to their partner that they should enter the nest first.

These Small Birds Flutter Their Wings to Say ‘After You’ to Their Partner

A new study of Japanese tits provides the first evidence of non-primate animals using gestures to convey messages

Traffic backed up on Interstate 57 near Johnston City, Illinois, after the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.

Planning a Road Trip for the Total Solar Eclipse? Here’s Why You Should Drive Extra Carefully

Scientists found a 31 percent increase in fatal car crashes around the 2017 total solar eclipse, akin to spikes in traffic risk on busy holiday weekends

Indonesia's Lake Toba, formed by a volcanic eruption around 74,000 years ago. In the new study, researchers uncovered fragments of glass from the eruption at an archaeological site in northwest Ethiopia, pointing to the volcano's global impacts.

Stone Age People Survived a Supervolcano Eruption by Adapting to Dry Periods, Archaeologists Suggest

Humans living in northwest Ethiopia around 74,000 years ago switched to eating more fish following the eruption, a behavior that might have enabled migration out of Africa

Dogs may understand more words than humans likely realize, according to new research.

Dogs Can Understand the Words for Several Objects, Such as Toys and Leashes, Study Finds

Your dog may know the word “ball” is associated with their favorite round squishy toy, according to new research that measured brain waves

Michel Talagrand is the 27th recipient of the Abel Prize, which was first awarded in 2003.

Mathematician Who Made Sense of the Universe’s Randomness Wins Math’s Top Prize

Michel Talagrand took home the 2024 Abel Prize for his work on stochastic systems, randomness and a proof of a physics reaction that many experts thought was unsolvable

Independent craniofacial anthropologist Chris Rynn created lifelike facial reconstructions of four individuals who lived in the region.

Art Meets Science

See the Faces of Four Scots Across Thousands of Years of History, Brought to Life Using A.I.

The Perth Museum in Scotland is unveiling digital reconstructions of men and women who lived in the region from the Bronze Age through the 16th century

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