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Smart News / Smart News Travel

The Bird in the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock Weighs 330 Pounds

The clock is based on a much smaller cuckoo clock that is about 100 years old - scaled up sixty times

A páramo ecosystem in the Andes.

This Spot in the Andes May Be the Fastest-Evolving Place on Earth

Like isolated islands, evolution in these mountainous, unique environments seems to be ticking away at a faster beat than run-of-the-mill habitats

Before the World Cup, Brazilians Are Trying to Learn English

Brazilians have 211 days left to prepare for the World Cup one of the things many of them are doing to get ready is to try and learn English

Moscow Will Give You a Free Subway Ticket If You Do 30 Squats

The Moscow subway system will now reward riders with a free trip in exchange for 30 squats

Washington Monument Scaffolding Is Coming Down Today

Two years later, the scaffolding around the Washington Monument is ready to come down

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Almost Half the Runners in the NYC Marathon Were Supposed to Race Last Year

New York’s marathon is the country’s largest, and last year, it was cancelled

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Watch “Vintage” Signs Get Made in This Portland Shop

From painting to stenciling to distressing, watch a sign come to life in this little video from the shop

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The Most Isolated Tree in the World Was Killed by a (Probably Drunk) Driver

The acacia was the only tree for 250 miles in Niger’s Sahara desert and was used as a landmark by travelers and caravans

Archimedes Would Be Proud of This Now-Bright Norwegian Town

Inspiration for the idea traces back to the 212 BC legend about Archimedes’ burning mirrors used to set Roman battle ships ablaze

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Visit the Edge of Space on the Cheap in a High-Altitude Balloon

Do your best Felix Baumgartner impersonation with this balloon trip to the stratosphere

This Man From Calgary Spent 23 Years on the Road, Visiting Every Country in the World

While many other people have also managed to visit more than 190 countries, in Bown’s book those visits don’t count

There Are No More Landlines in This Town

Residents, however, are not pleased and demand their landlines to be reinstated

Part of the city of Mohenjo Daro

The 4,500-Year-Old City of Mohenjo Daro Is Crumbling, And No One Is Stopping It

The ruins had been preserved for thousands of years, but now they’re fading fast

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You Can Visit the World’s Oldest Zero at a Temple in India

Indian mathematicians were the first to treat zero as an equal

Agricultural Pollution Is Threatening America’s National Parks

Gases from heavy fertilizer use are threatening the ecological balance of America’s natural parks

America’s Chinatowns Are Disappearing

For many, Chinatowns are an attraction to a city - and many cities boast about their robust cultural neighborhoods

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Government-Issued Guidelines Warn Chinese Tourists Not to Spit, Shout Or Overeat at Buffets

Last year, mainland Chinese became the top tourism spenders, dropping $102 billion in destinations around the world

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In Russia, the Olympic Torch Flames Out

Shortly after the start of the Olympic torch relay, the flame was puffed out

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The National Selfie Portrait Gallery Is a Real Thing, And It’s Art

Made up of solely selfies, the gallery attempts to explore how people see themselves

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China’s Tianducheng Is an Eerie Ghost Town Version of Paris

If and when Shanghai spills far enough into the countryside, Tianducheng and its neo-Classical apartments will be waiting

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