https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/new-research/RSS feed for New ResearchenWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:20:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/Researchers have long suspected that the first of these slithering creatures lived in water, on land or underground. New research hints that more than one environment might be correctWed, 29 Jul 2026 17:20:31 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-some-reptiles-lose-their-limbs-to-become-snakes-an-80-million-year-old-fossil-helps-uncover-the-winding-evolutionary-history-180989203/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/Biologists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute investigated a flexible social bee species, which helps shed light on the evolution of more complex organizational structures among other insectsTue, 28 Jul 2026 23:05:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-this-bee-species-why-do-some-of-daughters-leave-home-while-others-stay-bee-hind-to-help-mom-180989218/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-byzantine-shipwreck-boasts-more-gold-treasures-than-any-other-vessel-found-beneath-the-mediterranean-180989217/The vessel sank in the Adriatic Sea in the seventh or eighth century C.E. Its cargo included a gold signet ring likely associated with the emperor Heraclius and gold belts encrusted with rubies, emeralds and pearlsTue, 28 Jul 2026 20:07:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-medieval-byzantine-shipwreck-boasts-more-gold-treasures-than-any-other-vessel-found-beneath-the-mediterranean-180989217/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-fossil-footsteps-found-in-kenya-may-hint-that-an-early-human-relative-was-larger-than-previously-thought-180989206/The trackway sheds light on how some hominins moved around their environments and with one anotherMon, 27 Jul 2026 19:08:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-fossil-footsteps-found-in-kenya-may-hint-that-an-early-human-relative-was-larger-than-previously-thought-180989206/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-disproves-a-decades-old-mathematical-idea-the-biggest-conjecture-that-the-tech-has-played-a-role-in-yet-180989189/A mathematician announced that he used one of Anthropic's A.I. models to find a counterexample to a problem called the Jacobian conjecture. While experts consider it a milestone, the work raises questions about the future of mathematical researchMon, 27 Jul 2026 17:12:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ai-disproves-a-decades-old-mathematical-idea-the-biggest-conjecture-that-the-tech-has-played-a-role-in-yet-180989189/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chimpanzees-and-bonobos-use-hugs-kisses-and-pats-to-keep-the-peace-just-like-humans-a-new-study-suggests-180989192/Since all three ape species diverged from a common ancestor that lived roughly six million to eight million years ago, the findings hint that friendly touching to diffuse tension has deep evolutionary originsMon, 27 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chimpanzees-and-bonobos-use-hugs-kisses-and-pats-to-keep-the-peace-just-like-humans-a-new-study-suggests-180989192/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-millennia-ago-humans-may-have-spoken-thousands-more-languages-than-we-have-today-during-a-linguistic-golden-age-180989197/A new study suggests linguistic diversity reached its peak between 1000 B.C.E. and 1000 C.E. before decliningFri, 24 Jul 2026 21:42:54 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/three-millennia-ago-humans-may-have-spoken-thousands-more-languages-than-we-have-today-during-a-linguistic-golden-age-180989197/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-robot-can-flap-its-wings-to-both-fly-and-swim-it-might-one-day-help-scientists-study-diving-birds-and-survey-ocean-habitats-180989172/The bioinspired device, which weighs roughly half a pound and measures around three feet wide, was also modeled after aquatic birds like puffins, gulls and loonsFri, 24 Jul 2026 20:28:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-robot-can-flap-its-wings-to-both-fly-and-swim-it-might-one-day-help-scientists-study-diving-birds-and-survey-ocean-habitats-180989172/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-these-whales-floating-upside-down-they-might-just-be-moms-who-need-a-break-from-feeding-their-babies-180989184/Each year, southern right whales migrate thousands of miles from their feeding grounds to breed, give birth and raise their young. Taking rests and regulating their calves' nursing schedules might help mothers conserve energy while they're far from foodFri, 24 Jul 2026 13:39:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-are-these-whales-floating-upside-down-they-might-just-be-moms-who-need-a-break-from-feeding-their-babies-180989184/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-chat-with-an-ai-ghost-of-a-deceased-loved-one-new-research-suggests-that-the-tech-can-provide-comfort-and-closure-180989176/Commercial "griefbots" are becoming more popular, and many experts have questions about their psychological and ethical impacts. A new study aims to ensure that the bots are designed responsiblyThu, 23 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/would-you-chat-with-an-ai-ghost-of-a-deceased-loved-one-new-research-suggests-that-the-tech-can-provide-comfort-and-closure-180989176/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aboriginal-spiritual-leaders-performed-magic-healing-cursing-rituals-in-this-australian-cave-for-25000-years-new-research-finds-180989178/Archaeologists collaborated with members of the GunaiKurnai Aboriginal community to explore layers of ash from burned grasses dating back thousands of years inside Cloggs CaveWed, 22 Jul 2026 21:25:07 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/aboriginal-spiritual-leaders-performed-magic-healing-cursing-rituals-in-this-australian-cave-for-25000-years-new-research-finds-180989178/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-arent-born-with-as-righties-or-lefties-they-develop-hand-dominance-with-practice-a-new-study-suggests-180989168/Humans do have a biological preference for using one side of their body, which might prime them for using limbs on that side for complex motor tasks like writing—and honing those skills over timeWed, 22 Jul 2026 16:59:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-arent-born-with-as-righties-or-lefties-they-develop-hand-dominance-with-practice-a-new-study-suggests-180989168/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-genes-reveal-that-big-bright-avocados-were-carried-through-the-americas-thousands-of-years-ago-180989171/People brought large avocado seeds from South America to Central America, kicking off a burst of diversity for the fruitWed, 22 Jul 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ancient-genes-reveal-that-big-bright-avocados-were-carried-through-the-americas-thousands-of-years-ago-180989171/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-massive-flow-of-rock-and-mud-tumbled-down-mount-rainier-centuries-ago-scientists-pinpointed-its-date-to-better-understand-the-volcanos-complex-threats-180989162/In a recent study, researchers dated a historic lahar called the Electron Mudflow to the summer of 1507, establishing a way to determine when past geologic events around the Puget Sound occurredTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:48:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-massive-flow-of-rock-and-mud-tumbled-down-mount-rainier-centuries-ago-scientists-pinpointed-its-date-to-better-understand-the-volcanos-complex-threats-180989162/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-life-exist-on-this-nearby-world-in-a-first-astronomers-find-an-atmosphere-on-an-earth-like-exoplanet-in-the-habitable-zone-180989149/While the celestial body seems to host three features that could make a livable environment—an atmosphere, a rocky composition and a temperature that could allow liquid water to sit on the surface—researchers have not currently detected any residentsTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:23:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-life-exist-on-this-nearby-world-in-a-first-astronomers-find-an-atmosphere-on-an-earth-like-exoplanet-in-the-habitable-zone-180989149/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-amateur-astronomer-using-google-maps-spotted-a-strange-indentation-it-turned-out-to-be-a-meteorite-crater-from-390-million-years-ago-180989158/Scientists confirmed the astronomer’s suspicions with an expedition to the site in Quebec. The discovery offers a rare case of a reported new crater turning out to be realTue, 21 Jul 2026 12:58:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-amateur-astronomer-using-google-maps-spotted-a-strange-indentation-it-turned-out-to-be-a-meteorite-crater-from-390-million-years-ago-180989158/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-with-paralysis-has-regained-feeling-and-movement-in-his-hands-after-an-experimental-brain-implant-180989156/After months of training, the patient can now move his arms and hands and feel the sensation of touchMon, 20 Jul 2026 19:35:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-with-paralysis-has-regained-feeling-and-movement-in-his-hands-after-an-experimental-brain-implant-180989156/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-kidnapped-africans-died-on-an-island-in-the-atlantic-after-being-rescued-from-slave-ships-evidence-in-their-teeth-traces-their-journeys-180989145/Remains in the graves of St. Helena, where the British military housed "liberated" enslaved Africans, contain isotopes from inland Angola and ZimbabweMon, 20 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thousands-of-kidnapped-africans-died-on-an-island-in-the-atlantic-after-being-rescued-from-slave-ships-evidence-in-their-teeth-traces-their-journeys-180989145/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poop-from-southern-right-whales-reveals-that-the-animals-might-be-more-resilient-to-climate-change-than-we-thought-180989131/Scientists long believed that these whales, which swim throughout the Southern Hemisphere, mainly feasted on krill and small crustaceans called copepods, which are disappearing from the warming ocean. A new study suggests that the cetaceans have a more varied, flexible dietMon, 20 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/poop-from-southern-right-whales-reveals-that-the-animals-might-be-more-resilient-to-climate-change-than-we-thought-180989131/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-ancient-egyptian-princesses-wield-weapons-and-train-in-martial-arts-just-like-the-men-of-their-time-180989151/A new analysis of their bones suggests they were buried alongside arrows, maces and daggers because they had repeatedly used those weapons in lifeMon, 20 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-ancient-egyptian-princesses-wield-weapons-and-train-in-martial-arts-just-like-the-men-of-their-time-180989151/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/The creatures, which weigh about the same as a small dog, have spiky black hair, orange-cream skin around their mouths and a white patch on their rear ends. Scientists say that they're probably endangeredFri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-orange-lipped-likweli-monkey-a-new-species-that-was-discovered-in-the-congo-rainforest-180989140/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-a-cat-licks-another-cat-its-not-always-friendly-new-study-reveals-180989136/Classic feline behavior could be a passive-aggressive maneuver to get what they wantFri, 17 Jul 2026 12:59:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-a-cat-licks-another-cat-its-not-always-friendly-new-study-reveals-180989136/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/Some economists suspect that the technology's widespread adoption has reduced in-person interactions and increased access to pornography and information on birth control, leading to less unprotected sexThu, 16 Jul 2026 16:05:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smartphones-might-be-playing-a-role-in-the-united-states-declining-birth-rate-new-research-suggests-180989129/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/Two of four tested giraffes seemed to be able to mentally combine numbers to get one of their favorite treats: carrots. But all the animals failed at tasks involving subtraction or multiple calculationsThu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/The gas giant, called Beta Pictoris d, had been hiding in plain sight for more than a decade, until two independent teams verified its existenceWed, 15 Jul 2026 19:40:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-noticed-a-mysterious-spot-appearing-in-telescope-images-it-turned-out-to-be-the-faintest-exoplanet-ever-imaged-from-earth-180989133/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-scientists-witness-the-seafloor-spread-in-real-time-giving-them-a-rare-glimpse-at-a-mysterious-geologic-process-180989123/Across a matter of days in 2024, the seafloor in part of the Indian Ocean dropped by about 13 feet, and roughly 5.7 billion cubic feet of molten rock rose to the crust's surface, according to a new studyWed, 15 Jul 2026 16:02:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-first-scientists-witness-the-seafloor-spread-in-real-time-giving-them-a-rare-glimpse-at-a-mysterious-geologic-process-180989123/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/Alfred the Great defended Wessex from the Vikings. Researchers have been searching for his remains for years after their resting place in an abbey was disturbedTue, 14 Jul 2026 20:37:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-kings-bones-were-moved-over-centuries-and-eventually-lost-one-researcher-claims-he-discovered-their-location-under-a-parking-lot-180989121/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-how-these-adorable-mice-can-live-at-an-extremely-high-elevation-where-no-other-mammal-is-known-to-survive-180989116/The Andean leaf-eared mouse has adaptations that help it generate body heat efficiently in frigid, low-oxygen conditions at 22,000 feet above sea level, according to a new studyTue, 14 Jul 2026 18:45:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-how-these-adorable-mice-can-live-at-an-extremely-high-elevation-where-no-other-mammal-is-known-to-survive-180989116/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-first-right-handed-animal-a-worm-like-creature-that-lived-about-550-million-years-ago-180989107/During the Ediacaran period, the critter wriggled around on the ocean floor of what’s now South Australia and preferred to turn right, a fossil analysis suggestsTue, 14 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-first-right-handed-animal-a-worm-like-creature-that-lived-about-550-million-years-ago-180989107/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-two-wolves-end-up-on-this-remote-island-thousands-of-years-ago-researchers-think-humans-brought-them-there-then-cared-for-them-180989110/The discovery suggests humans may have maintained relationships with wolves long after domesticated dogs came on the sceneMon, 13 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-two-wolves-end-up-on-this-remote-island-thousands-of-years-ago-researchers-think-humans-brought-them-there-then-cared-for-them-180989110/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/Researchers who investigated the remains of a young adult male found in the Qafzeh cave say the injury healed over time, which means the victim's community may have tended to himFri, 10 Jul 2026 13:53:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/roughly-100000-years-ago-this-man-got-stabbed-in-the-face-and-survived-hes-likely-one-of-the-first-known-victims-of-an-attack-by-a-sharp-weapon-180989103/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-culprit-behind-south-australias-deadly-algal-bloom-might-be-the-most-toxic-species-ever-tested-scientists-say-180989100/Karenia cristata, a rare type of microscopic algae that produces toxins that harm nerve cells, can be lethal at very low concentrationsFri, 10 Jul 2026 12:46:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-culprit-behind-south-australias-deadly-algal-bloom-might-be-the-most-toxic-species-ever-tested-scientists-say-180989100/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-we-mitigate-super-el-ninos-by-artificially-changing-the-climate-a-new-study-indicates-yes-180989101/Researchers used computer models to see what would have happened had scientists caused marine cloud brightening in the face of strong past El NiñosThu, 09 Jul 2026 18:17:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-we-mitigate-super-el-ninos-by-artificially-changing-the-climate-a-new-study-indicates-yes-180989101/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/Last fall, scientists reported the first known recordings of greater noctule bats hunting and feasting on songbirds during night flights. But a 17th-century artwork by Jan Brueghel the Elder seems to depict the species flying with feathered prey in its mouthThu, 09 Jul 2026 16:17:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-just-learned-that-this-bat-eats-birds-midflight-a-renaissance-painter-may-have-known-about-it-hundreds-of-years-ago-180989096/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/Researchers have long wondered whether upper-class members of the ancient nomadic warriors earned their social status through individual achievements or birthrightThu, 09 Jul 2026 16:04:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/kazakhstans-iron-age-golden-man-and-other-elite-scythians-of-eurasia-inherited-their-high-social-status-ancient-dna-suggests-180989089/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/Two new studies find that British colonists arriving via ship in the late 18th century likely introduced smallpox, which devastated Aboriginal communities far more than previously knownThu, 09 Jul 2026 14:14:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/smallpox-scabs-that-british-doctors-used-to-inoculate-patients-may-have-introduced-the-deadly-disease-to-australia-new-research-suggests-180989093/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-this-duke-poison-his-brother-a-new-dna-analysis-may-solve-the-centuries-old-medici-mystery-180989086/Researchers found evidence of malaria in Francesco I de' Medici's bones, leading them to argue "with scientific certainty" that it was disease, not arsenic, that led to his death in 1587Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:05:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-this-duke-poison-his-brother-a-new-dna-analysis-may-solve-the-centuries-old-medici-mystery-180989086/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-arctic-ocean-may-have-passed-a-crucial-tipping-point-that-could-harm-food-webs-and-worsen-climate-change-180989083/Sea ice loss seems to have triggered a decline in the nutrient nitrate, affecting the tiny organisms that form the foundations of marine food chains and absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new studyWed, 08 Jul 2026 15:36:06 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-arctic-ocean-may-have-passed-a-crucial-tipping-point-that-could-harm-food-webs-and-worsen-climate-change-180989083/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-ancestors-loved-shell-trinkets-just-like-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-its-a-sign-of-shared-culture-across-species-180989085/Based on artifacts found in a limestone cave on the Mediterranean coast, scientists think the two species might have shared similar survival strategies, stone tool technologies and symbolic traditionsWed, 08 Jul 2026 14:26:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/our-ancestors-loved-shell-trinkets-just-like-neanderthals-new-research-suggests-its-a-sign-of-shared-culture-across-species-180989085/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sperm-whales-living-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-sea-seem-to-have-developed-a-distinct-dialect-from-those-in-the-west-180989084/All Mediterranean sperm whales were thought to be part of one cultural group, identifiable by a unique pattern of clicks, or a coda. But sound recordings suggest that eastern creatures use a sped-up version of the western whales' codaWed, 08 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sperm-whales-living-in-the-eastern-mediterranean-sea-seem-to-have-developed-a-distinct-dialect-from-those-in-the-west-180989084/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tall-trees-were-thought-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-drought-but-these-towering-plants-in-southeast-asia-have-adapted-to-move-water-efficiently-180989075/A new study found that enormous dipterocarp trees have special adaptations to transport water up to their highest limbs, challenging the assumption that they would more easily succumb to dry conditionsTue, 07 Jul 2026 19:29:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tall-trees-were-thought-to-be-more-vulnerable-to-drought-but-these-towering-plants-in-southeast-asia-have-adapted-to-move-water-efficiently-180989075/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/According to fossils preserved by volcanic ash, the plants, known as angiosperms, began producing relatively large, blueberry-size fruits millions of years earlier than previously thoughtMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:12:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-made-cells-that-feed-grow-and-reproduce-bringing-them-one-step-closer-to-building-life-from-scratch-180989070/The human-made cells show many hallmarks of life, but they can't make all their necessary internal structures or divide for very many generationsThu, 02 Jul 2026 19:53:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-made-cells-that-feed-grow-and-reproduce-bringing-them-one-step-closer-to-building-life-from-scratch-180989070/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earth-might-be-home-to-20-million-insect-speciesmore-than-three-times-as-many-as-previously-thought-a-study-suggests-180989062/Recent estimates have come to the consensus that our planet hosts roughly six million species. But new research reveals that those counts may be drastically underestimatedThu, 02 Jul 2026 15:30:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earth-might-be-home-to-20-million-insect-speciesmore-than-three-times-as-many-as-previously-thought-a-study-suggests-180989062/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/Males of the species Drosophila melanogaster pack thousands of almost two-millimeter-long sperm cells into significantly smaller storage organs. A new study reveals how they move in an orderly mannerWed, 01 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-male-fruit-flies-have-sperm-that-are-nearly-as-long-as-their-bodies-heres-how-the-cells-dont-become-a-tangled-mess-180989054/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-neanderthals-go-extinct-inbreeding-probably-wasnt-to-blame-for-their-demise-in-northwestern-europe-a-study-suggests-180989032/In contrast to those who resided in Siberia, Neanderthals who lived in what's now Belgium and France shortly before the species vanished seem to have been genetically diverse and healthyTue, 30 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-did-neanderthals-go-extinct-inbreeding-probably-wasnt-to-blame-for-their-demise-in-northwestern-europe-a-study-suggests-180989032/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/Along with other recent discoveries, the new finding from Perseverance boosts the case that Mars once hosted conditions that could support living things—but it isn’t a definitive sign of ancient organismsTue, 30 Jun 2026 13:38:51 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mars-rover-spots-complex-carbon-on-the-red-planet-marking-yet-another-detection-of-a-building-block-of-life-180989043/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-fossil-from-antarctica-sat-in-a-drawer-for-40-years-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-dinosaur-bone-ever-found-on-the-continent-180989042/After being forgotten for decades, the mysterious tail vertebra has finally been identified as part of a titanosaur. The discovery helps researchers understand how dinosaurs may have traversed Earth's southernmost regionsMon, 29 Jun 2026 20:40:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-fossil-from-antarctica-sat-in-a-drawer-for-40-years-it-turned-out-to-be-the-first-dinosaur-bone-ever-found-on-the-continent-180989042/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-rare-comet-made-history-as-the-third-known-interstellar-object-to-fly-through-our-solar-system-studies-are-now-revealing-the-mysterious-the-mysterious-conditions-in-which-it-formed-180989037/In the latest research, telescope observations of 3I/ATLAS examine its chemical structure and suggest that it took shape in a peripheral region of a relatively calm planetary systemMon, 29 Jun 2026 16:02:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-rare-comet-made-history-as-the-third-known-interstellar-object-to-fly-through-our-solar-system-studies-are-now-revealing-the-mysterious-the-mysterious-conditions-in-which-it-formed-180989037/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-scientific-first-researchers-recovered-ancient-dna-that-humans-left-behind-on-rock-art-and-cave-walls-180989038/DNA preservation on cave walls is highly variable, but scientists say their work is an important step on the path toward gaining a deeper understanding of our creative ancestorsMon, 29 Jun 2026 14:27:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-a-scientific-first-researchers-recovered-ancient-dna-that-humans-left-behind-on-rock-art-and-cave-walls-180989038/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-in-the-mexican-jungle-archaeologists-discovered-a-lost-maya-city-that-may-yield-clues-about-the-civilization-just-before-it-collapsed-180989030/Researchers hacked through more than three miles of vegetation to get to the site, which lies out of bounds of familiar logging tracks. There, they found unique carved stelae and altarsFri, 26 Jun 2026 21:44:58 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/deep-in-the-mexican-jungle-archaeologists-discovered-a-lost-maya-city-that-may-yield-clues-about-the-civilization-just-before-it-collapsed-180989030/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-prehistoric-primates-really-bury-just-their-female-dead-deep-in-a-cave-180989020/Researchers say that the fossilized bones of "Homo naledi," so far found exclusively underground in South Africa, lack a key genetic male markerThu, 25 Jun 2026 21:18:12 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-these-prehistoric-primates-really-bury-just-their-female-dead-deep-in-a-cave-180989020/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-nuclear-clocks-are-ticking-opening-a-new-way-to-investigate-dark-matter-and-other-mysteries-of-physics-180989002/Two independent teams of scientists have created the first functional clocks that can keep ultraprecise time using the nuclei of a radioactive elementWed, 24 Jun 2026 16:37:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-first-nuclear-clocks-are-ticking-opening-a-new-way-to-investigate-dark-matter-and-other-mysteries-of-physics-180989002/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/Flung prey can reach speeds of up to 14.4 feet per second, or a little less than ten miles per hour. An insect will land in the spider's main web about a foot above the spring-loaded trapWed, 24 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-newly-discovered-spider-builds-a-unique-web-that-sends-ants-catapulting-through-the-air-180989003/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/When researchers played underwater recordings of pushy males, females that were capable of becoming pregnant swam away from the soundsTue, 23 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-discovered-the-origins-of-the-euphrates-river-which-helped-nurture-some-of-the-earliest-known-civilizations-180988966/The famous waterway began as two rivers, a new study suggests. Tectonic activity around five million years ago probably made them change course and merge, helping to birth the Fertile CrescentMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:51:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-discovered-the-origins-of-the-euphrates-river-which-helped-nurture-some-of-the-earliest-known-civilizations-180988966/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fish-and-humans-share-surprisingly-similar-sleep-habits-including-daytime-naps-180988985/A recent study suggests that zebrafish have four sleep substates, just like humans do—and one of them is akin to an afternoon snoozeMon, 22 Jun 2026 20:35:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fish-and-humans-share-surprisingly-similar-sleep-habits-including-daytime-naps-180988985/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/The remains of a wooden monument in southern England, three miles away from Stonehenge, may demonstrate Neolithic people's interest in the heavensFri, 19 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-evidence-a-wooden-prototype-for-stonehenge-may-have-aligned-with-the-solstice-500-years-before-the-stone-circle-180988988/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-discovery-that-hunter-gatherer-children-died-of-plague-more-than-five-millennia-ago-sets-back-the-date-of-the-earliest-outbreak-180988983/The skeletons of nomadic families unearthed in Siberia harbor "Yersinia pestis" bacteria, which challenges theories about conditions needed for the disease to spreadThu, 18 Jun 2026 20:58:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-discovery-that-hunter-gatherer-children-died-of-plague-more-than-five-millennia-ago-sets-back-the-date-of-the-earliest-outbreak-180988983/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-vietnam-veteran-collected-fossils-for-66-years-one-mislabeled-baby-lamprey-made-paleontologists-reconsider-how-vertebrates-moved-from-water-to-land-180988981/The fossil turned out to be a hatchling of a crocodile-like creature, and it suggests, according to a new study, that early animals did not use metamorphosis to evolve to dwell on landThu, 18 Jun 2026 18:15:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-vietnam-veteran-collected-fossils-for-66-years-one-mislabeled-baby-lamprey-made-paleontologists-reconsider-how-vertebrates-moved-from-water-to-land-180988981/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discovered-a-cosmic-fossil-in-the-making-the-most-chemically-primitive-galaxy-seen-yet-by-peering-back-to-the-edge-of-time-180988954/The James Webb Space Telescope observed 13-billion-year-old light, using a closer galactic cluster like a magnifying glass. The work helps experts understand the universe’s earliest stars and mysterious ultra-faint dwarf galaxiesThu, 18 Jun 2026 16:41:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discovered-a-cosmic-fossil-in-the-making-the-most-chemically-primitive-galaxy-seen-yet-by-peering-back-to-the-edge-of-time-180988954/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-find-a-mathematical-pattern-used-in-city-planning-hidden-in-the-leaves-of-a-common-houseplant-180988978/The major veins of Chinese money plant leaves form what's called a Voronoi diagram. It might be caused by a plant-growth hormone that emanates in waves from developing leaves' poresThu, 18 Jun 2026 16:02:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-find-a-mathematical-pattern-used-in-city-planning-hidden-in-the-leaves-of-a-common-houseplant-180988978/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-all-plants-depend-on-tiny-underground-fungi-the-microbes-vast-global-networks-were-just-mapped-for-the-first-time-180988955/If lined up end to end, the thin, tubular threads that make up the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks in Earth’s topsoil could stretch between our planet and the sun almost one billion timesThu, 18 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-all-plants-depend-on-tiny-underground-fungi-the-microbes-vast-global-networks-were-just-mapped-for-the-first-time-180988955/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/The creature belongs to a unique group of sharks whose members can use their strong pectoral fins like legs to get aroundWed, 17 Jun 2026 20:41:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-a-new-species-of-walking-shark-in-papua-new-guinea-they-suspect-its-at-risk-of-going-extinct-180988977/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-practice-changing-gene-test-could-tell-doctors-which-patients-with-breast-cancer-can-skip-chemo-clinical-trial-suggests-180988957/Chemotherapy comes with debilitating side effects, including brain fog, nausea and nerve damage. New research suggests that many people with a common type of breast cancer need just radiation and hormone therapy to prevent recurrenceWed, 17 Jun 2026 14:01:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-practice-changing-gene-test-could-tell-doctors-which-patients-with-breast-cancer-can-skip-chemo-clinical-trial-suggests-180988957/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ants-can-get-distracted-by-cookies-chips-and-other-junk-food-heres-why-that-could-be-a-problem-for-the-environment-180988962/The insects enjoy snack crumbs, but new research shows that this unnatural food source can divert them from one of their most significant roles: dispersing plant seedsTue, 16 Jun 2026 16:15:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/ants-can-get-distracted-by-cookies-chips-and-other-junk-food-heres-why-that-could-be-a-problem-for-the-environment-180988962/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/No one had seen the creatures in more than two decades, leading scientists to wonder whether they'd gone extinct. That changed in September 2023Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-first-ever-photographs-of-cozumels-elusive-dwarf-fox-one-of-the-rarest-canids-in-the-world-180988961/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venus-flytraps-snap-their-traps-shut-in-less-than-a-second-scientists-say-theyve-discovered-how-the-predatory-plants-are-so-fast-180988949/The walls of cells in the leaves' outer layer suddenly soften, allowing the structures to hinge into a closed position, according to a new studyMon, 15 Jun 2026 20:06:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venus-flytraps-snap-their-traps-shut-in-less-than-a-second-scientists-say-theyve-discovered-how-the-predatory-plants-are-so-fast-180988949/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ugliest-shark-on-the-planet-see-the-elusive-goblin-shark-filmed-for-the-first-time-in-its-deep-sea-habitat-180988950/Scientists spotted the enigmatic creatures in 2019 and again in 2024, marking the first times they've been observed alive in the wild. The sightings drastically expand the animals' known geographic and depth rangeMon, 15 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ugliest-shark-on-the-planet-see-the-elusive-goblin-shark-filmed-for-the-first-time-in-its-deep-sea-habitat-180988950/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/working-from-home-is-making-people-lonelier-and-worsening-mental-health-a-study-suggests-180988938/The findings do not mean that in-office mandates are a fix, experts say. Instead, workplaces should have flexible policies that allow employees to choose where they’d like to workFri, 12 Jun 2026 19:40:36 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/working-from-home-is-making-people-lonelier-and-worsening-mental-health-a-study-suggests-180988938/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-accidentally-discover-that-humans-prefer-to-turn-counterclockwise-180988939/The effect transcends factors like culture, gender and handedness, causing the scientists, who were initially studying social distancing behavior, to scratch their headsFri, 12 Jun 2026 16:30:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-accidentally-discover-that-humans-prefer-to-turn-counterclockwise-180988939/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/The massive necropolis, located deep in the southeastern Indian Ocean, is teeming with marine life supported by the whale carcasses, including many suspected new speciesFri, 12 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-meteorite-found-in-the-sahara-desert-offers-evidence-of-a-lost-protoplanet-180988932/Chemical signatures indicate the meteorite came from an early planet that met an untimely end during the formation of our solar systemThu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-meteorite-found-in-the-sahara-desert-offers-evidence-of-a-lost-protoplanet-180988932/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-womans-brains-were-scooped-out-and-her-bones-were-broken-and-whittled-in-scotland-2000-years-ago-180988935/Researchers say the modifications may represent a previously unknown funerary ritual in Iron Age BritainWed, 10 Jun 2026 21:23:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-womans-brains-were-scooped-out-and-her-bones-were-broken-and-whittled-in-scotland-2000-years-ago-180988935/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-investigated-ancient-squirrel-poop-frozen-in-permafrost-and-found-enlightening-details-about-the-animals-ecosystem-180988934/Up to 700,000 years ago, ground squirrels in modern-day Canada collected tons of helpful genetic information on their bygone environment through their dietWed, 10 Jun 2026 18:47:05 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/researchers-investigated-ancient-squirrel-poop-frozen-in-permafrost-and-found-enlightening-details-about-the-animals-ecosystem-180988934/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-can-solve-problems-on-the-fly-adding-to-the-insects-list-of-impressive-cognitive-abilities-180988925/In a series of experiments, the fuzzy pollinators figured out how to use a ball as a tool to access a sugary treat. The study further highlights that the critters are quite clever despite their tiny brainsWed, 10 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bumblebees-can-solve-problems-on-the-fly-adding-to-the-insects-list-of-impressive-cognitive-abilities-180988925/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-across-cultures-find-womens-faces-to-be-more-attractive-than-mens-a-new-study-suggests-180988914/In many species of wild animals, males have flashier features than females to help them attract mates. But scientists have long noticed that humans seem to be an exception, with women often being considered the "fairer sex"Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:14:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/people-across-cultures-find-womens-faces-to-be-more-attractive-than-mens-a-new-study-suggests-180988914/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cute-little-guy-scientists-discover-a-tiny-blue-species-of-octopus-by-the-galapagos-islands-180988919/The palm-size creature was spotted and collected during a research expedition more than a decade ago, but scientists have just identified it as a previously undescribed speciesTue, 09 Jun 2026 18:33:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cute-little-guy-scientists-discover-a-tiny-blue-species-of-octopus-by-the-galapagos-islands-180988919/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-stonehenge-get-its-altar-stone-new-research-reveals-evidence-adding-to-the-debate-between-human-effort-and-glacier-transport-180988918/Ice flow modeling and geological analyses suggest it's possible that glaciers carried the stone part of the way during the last Ice Age. However, scientists say that scenario is unlikelyMon, 08 Jun 2026 22:33:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-did-stonehenge-get-its-altar-stone-new-research-reveals-evidence-adding-to-the-debate-between-human-effort-and-glacier-transport-180988918/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-witch-croc-a-strange-ancient-crocodile-relative-with-two-legs-and-no-teeth-that-roamed-new-mexico-during-the-triassic-180988909/The reptile, a dinosaur look-alike called a shuvosaur, represents a long-awaited discovery that helps paleontologists fill a gap in the fossil recordMon, 08 Jun 2026 16:09:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-witch-croc-a-strange-ancient-crocodile-relative-with-two-legs-and-no-teeth-that-roamed-new-mexico-during-the-triassic-180988909/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/Wide-ranging research suggests that as temperatures increase, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The findings hint at consequences that may ripple through ecosystemsFri, 05 Jun 2026 17:52:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-been-studying-these-salamanders-for-more-than-250-years-they-just-discovered-the-creatures-glow-under-uv-light-180988900/Fire salamanders—one of Europe's most well-researched amphibians—are biofluorescent, which means they can absorb light from an external source at one wavelength, then re-emit it at anotherFri, 05 Jun 2026 15:09:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-have-been-studying-these-salamanders-for-more-than-250-years-they-just-discovered-the-creatures-glow-under-uv-light-180988900/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-determines-royalty-among-honeybees-not-just-a-distinct-diet-queens-also-need-specially-built-regal-chambers-a-study-suggests-180988899/The peanut-shaped compartments where future queens grow up seem to play an important role in development. The wax has chemical and physical differences from that in other parts of the hiveFri, 05 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-determines-royalty-among-honeybees-not-just-a-distinct-diet-queens-also-need-specially-built-regal-chambers-a-study-suggests-180988899/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwrecks-discovered-near-the-bahamas-tantalize-researchers-with-possible-ties-to-the-real-pirates-of-the-caribbean-180988901/A team of archaeologists and filmmakers got permission to dive in the closed zone of the Nassau harbor and discovered six wrecks, including three with suspected ties to the era of piracyFri, 05 Jun 2026 13:43:20 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwrecks-discovered-near-the-bahamas-tantalize-researchers-with-possible-ties-to-the-real-pirates-of-the-caribbean-180988901/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-made-sourdough-bread-with-yeast-found-on-otzi-the-icemans-mummified-body-180988894/Discovered in the Alps in 1991, the remains are home to a wide variety of bacteria, fungi and yeastsThu, 04 Jun 2026 19:02:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-made-sourdough-bread-with-yeast-found-on-otzi-the-icemans-mummified-body-180988894/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tongas-enormous-volcanic-eruption-cleaned-up-part-of-its-own-methane-emissions-in-2022-hinting-at-a-way-to-fight-climate-change-180988893/Researchers analyzed satellite imagery of the volcanic plume and found evidence that the potent greenhouse gas had broken down. The work could inform artificial interventions aiming to mitigate global warming, scientists sayThu, 04 Jun 2026 16:14:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tongas-enormous-volcanic-eruption-cleaned-up-part-of-its-own-methane-emissions-in-2022-hinting-at-a-way-to-fight-climate-change-180988893/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mathematicians-puzzled-over-a-famous-problem-for-80-years-now-theyve-used-ai-to-identify-a-clever-solution-180988889/In 1946, the mathematician Paul Erdős posed the unit distance problem—and suggested a winning strategy. An A.I. model has now landed on a better one. Why didn't humans get there first?Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:14:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mathematicians-puzzled-over-a-famous-problem-for-80-years-now-theyve-used-ai-to-identify-a-clever-solution-180988889/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home-new-research-suggests-the-birds-remarkable-navigational-skills-come-from-their-livers-180988884/The birds might use the organs' iron-rich immune cells as internal compasses on overcast days, when they must rely on Earth’s magnetic field, instead of the sun’s light cues, for navigationTue, 02 Jun 2026 21:21:04 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home-new-research-suggests-the-birds-remarkable-navigational-skills-come-from-their-livers-180988884/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-century-after-causing-controversy-red-cave-markings-in-wales-are-classified-again-as-britains-oldest-rock-art-180988879/The team of scientists used modern dating methods to confirm an old hypothesis by the rock art’s initial discoverersTue, 02 Jun 2026 20:59:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-century-after-causing-controversy-red-cave-markings-in-wales-are-classified-again-as-britains-oldest-rock-art-180988879/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-discovered-little-lab-zombies-seemingly-immortal-tissue-taken-from-sea-cucumbers-180988880/Chunks removed from the marine creatures more than three years ago haven't degraded and show signs of biological activity, raising questions about what it means to be aliveTue, 02 Jun 2026 19:56:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-say-theyve-discovered-little-lab-zombies-seemingly-immortal-tissue-taken-from-sea-cucumbers-180988880/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-human-ancestors-walk-on-their-knuckles-like-todays-chimpanzees-new-research-adds-more-evidence-to-the-debate-180988876/After investigating thousands of wrist bones, scientists suspect the last common ancestor species of humans and chimpanzees may have navigated the world on its knucklesTue, 02 Jun 2026 15:36:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-human-ancestors-walk-on-their-knuckles-like-todays-chimpanzees-new-research-adds-more-evidence-to-the-debate-180988876/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-bug-spray-attract-mosquitoes-lab-insects-learned-that-the-smell-of-deet-would-lead-them-to-a-tasty-treat-180988866/Researchers don't know how the findings might overlap with real-world settings. But the discovery suggests that we're most vulnerable when our insect repellent is wearing off, meaning we should reapply it regularlyMon, 01 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/could-bug-spray-attract-mosquitoes-lab-insects-learned-that-the-smell-of-deet-would-lead-them-to-a-tasty-treat-180988866/