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Bepob Over Here Nitwit: Study Identifies the Funniest Words in the English Language
Participants rated 4,997 random words on how funny they were, with Booty, Booby, Egghead and Twerp making the top 12
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How One Brave Spider Floated Thousands of Miles to Colonize a New Continent
Improbably, new genetic analysis shows that trapdoor spiders may have ridden ocean currents from Africa to Australia
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Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Algae to Revitalize America’s Waterways
Walter Adey’s algal turf scrubber filters pollutants to clean water
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Gen Xers and Millennials Out-Voted Older Generations in 2016
It’s the first time the younger generations have beat out Baby Boomers, Silent Generation voters and Greatest Generation voters
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This Tiny, Bulbous-Nosed Shark Glows in the Dark
After 17 years of study, scientists finally confirm that the oddball creature is a new species
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Medieval Manuscripts Are a DNA Smorgasbord
Researchers are finding animal DNA in the parchment pages as well as genetic fingerprints from humans (like kissing priests)
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Are Humans to Blame for the Disappearance of Earth’s Fantastic Beasts?
100,000 years ago, giant sloths, wombats and cave hyenas roamed the world. What drove them all extinct?
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Half of Our Atoms May Come From Other Galaxies
According to computer simulations, large galaxies may grow by sucking in matter smaller star clusters expel
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New Excavation Will Examine Germany’s Legendary “Founding Battle”
The dig hopes to find conclusive evidence that Kalkriese is the site of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest
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The Scientific Feat That Birthed the Blue Chrysanthemum
In a world first, scientists engineered the flowers to take on an azure hue
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Why Are Tardigrades the World’s Hardiest Creature? DNA Offers Clues
They may be tiny, but don’t let their stubby stature fool you
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Ten Things We’ve Learned about Sharks Since Last Shark Week
In light of Shark Week 2017, here are some revelations about the fearsome fish we’ve made in the past year
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Yes, Sperm Counts Have Been Steadily Declining—But Don’t Freeze Your Sperm Yet
The study is a striking reminder of how much science has to learn about these little wrigglers
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Disease Found in 99 Percent of Brains Donated by NFL Families
The degenerative brain disease develops after repeated concussions or blows to the head
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Meet the Supervillain Worm That Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friends
This deadly nematode and its sidekicks reveal the power of bacterial symbiosis
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The Upside of Rotting Carcasses
Large animals dying en masse are crucial to the the Serengeti—and they aren’t the only ones
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World’s Oldest Smiley Face May Decorate a Hittite Jug
Researchers did not notice the cheery, 3,700-year-old expression until they restored the ceramic
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Found: New Species of Ocean Sunfish, the World’s Largest Bony Fish
After identifying genetic traces of the creature, one researcher spent years searching for the aquatic beast
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Was This Famous Lincoln Letter Written by His Secretary?
After a century of rumors, textual analysis suggests the Bixby letter sent to a grieving mother was penned by John Hay
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Humans Have Produced Nine Billion Tons of Plastic and Counting
Over half of that material was created in the last decade
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