Smart News

Charles Darwin first proposed that chickens may have descended from the red jungle fowl because of their similar appearances. (Pictured: A red jungle fowl)

Researchers Pinpoint Date When Chickens Were First Domesticated

New findings push back the fowl’s domestication thousands of years

There's more than meets the eye going on when someone pops a bottle of bubbly.

What Really Happens When You Pop Champagne, According to Science

Researchers now have a clearer picture of the supersonic shock waves that form when carbon dioxide escapes from a bottle of bubbly

The eggs laid at at Galveston Island State Park were transported to an incubation facility, which will improve their chance of survival.

Good News

107 Critically Endangered Sea Turtle Eggs Found in Texas State Park

This is the first time in ten years that a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle has nested at the park

My Comrade documented the early careers of some of today’s most famous drag queens.

The Zine That Documented Drag’s Campy Coming of Age

The queer publication shone a joyous light on an underground culture during the darkest days of the HIV/AIDS crisis

The U.S.S.R. sent legions of “liquidators” to clean up in the aftermath of the meltdown. 

Past and Presence

Footage Shows How Daily Life Didn't Change After Chernobyl—and the Cover-Up's Toxic Aftermath

A new documentary shows how the disaster transformed—and endangered—those who lived near the nuclear plant

A common bottlenose dolphin swimming off the coast of France. 

Dolphins Have Different Whistles Based on Their Environment

Genetics have little influence on the differences between dolphin whistles, but location and population demographics play an important role

Researchers at Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College will study how the four-day workweek affects workplace productivity, employee wellbeing, gender equality and the environment.   

The U.K. Is Launching the World’s Largest Four-Day Workweek Experiment

More than 3,300 employees at 70 companies get an extra day off each week for the next six months—without a reduction in pay

The depiction of a young Maya maize god is consistent with other portrayals of beheaded Maya deities. 

Cool Finds

1,300-Year-Old Corn God Statue Shows How the Maya Worshipped Maize

The deity was linked to renewal and creation in Mesoamerican culture

A Mexican wolf pup less than 14 days old is given a health check before being placed into a wild den in New Mexico.

Eleven Mexican Gray Wolf Pups Released Into the Wild

The pups were part of a cross-fostering program to boost genetic diversity in the endangered subspecies

The marble tablet celebrates the achievement of about 30 Greek youths. 

Cool Finds

2,000-Year-Old 'Yearbook'-Like Tablet Celebrates a Group of Ancient Greek Grads

Attikos and his friends were ready to become full Athenian citizens

Each pup was rewarded with toys like tennis balls if they picked out the virus successfully in sweat samples.

Dogs Sniff Out Covid-19 With Surprising Accuracy

Canines were even able to detect asymptomatic cases

Macintosh computers—and the company that created them—changed the PC world.

New Polish Museum Bytes Into the History of Apple Products

Over 1,000 artifacts get to the core of the iconic brand’s popularity

A Cruise car goes for a ride in San Francisco.

Innovation for Good

Driverless Taxis Are Coming to San Francisco

The California Public Utilities Commission is allowing Cruise to charge for rides in its autonomous vehicles, without a safety driver

Archaeologists got brief access to the city during another drought in 2018, but this is the first time they managed a comprehensive site study.

Cool Finds

Drought in Iraq Reveals 3,400-Year-Old City

Archaeologists raced against time to map the once-submerged ancient metropolis

In a new study, researchers collected over 7 million sleep records from 47,628 people and compared those to local meteorological data. 

Climate Change May Affect Our Ability to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

New research suggests that higher temperatures may lead of 50 to 58 hours of lost sleep per person every year by the end of the century

Rendering of the International African American Museum

A Museum Exploring the African American Experience Is Coming to Charleston

Slated to open early next year, the space will explore the legacy and contributions of enslaved people and their descendants

A bison walking on a road in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. 

Woman Gored by a Bison in Yellowstone National Park

An Ohio woman came within ten feet of the animal and was thrown ten feet in the air

Giraffes may have evolved such long necks, in part, because of sexual competition.

An Extinct, Head-Butting Animal May Help Explain Giraffes' Long Necks

The giraffe’s ancestor used its sturdy head and neck to fight for mates

The 21-year-old suspect, Brian Hernandez, broke into the Dallas Museum of Art around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Trending Today

Man Breaks Into Dallas Museum of Art and Damages Artworks Valued at Up to $5 Million

Brian Hernandez broke ancient Greek artifacts and a contemporary ceramic piece

The seagrass Posidonia australis.

World’s Largest Plant Is a Seagrass That Clones Itself

The 4,500-year-old plant lives off the coast of Australia

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