Smart News

The cat-eyed snake slithers in the Peruvian Amazon.

A Serpentine 'Explosion' 125 Million Years Ago Primed Snakes for Rapid, Diverse Evolution

Researchers say an evolutionary "singularity" led to several small, quick changes in snake species, from legless bodies and flexible skulls to chemical-sensing abilities

Without enough food, humpback whales become thinner, more susceptible to disease and less likely to reproduce.

7,000 Humpback Whales May Have Starved to Death During the 'Blob' Heatwave

The unprecedented marine heat between 2013 and 2016 in the North Pacific likely drove the whales' 20 percent decline, a trend revealed by citizen science observations

Actor Anthony Daniels holds up the helmet he wore on the set of 1983's Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars Fans Can Soon Bid on C-3PO's Head

Actor Anthony Daniels wore the golden helmet while playing the iconic droid in 'Return of the Jedi'

A Brazilian flea toad sits on a Brazilian real. The coin is 27 millimeters across.

The World's Smallest Vertebrate Is a Tiny Brazilian Frog, Study Finds

Adult male Brazilian flea toads are just over 7 millimeters long on average, and females measure about 8.15 millimeters

This 5,000-year-old ceramic vessel contains burnt food remnants that are helping scientists develop a more comprehensive understanding of food preparation in the region.

New Research

Archaeologists Discover Burnt Porridge Inside a 5,000-Year-Old Clay Pot

The leftovers shed new light on the dietary habits of residents of a village in Germany

Weliton Menário Costa dances in "Kangaroo Time," his winning music video about kangaroo behavior research.

Watch This Year's 'Dance Your PhD' Contest Winner, a Musical Celebration of Kangaroo Behavior

“Kangaroo Time” took home the competition’s overall prize, while interpretive dances on early life adversity, circadian rhythms and streambank erosion were also honored

The novel is set during the early days of the pandemic, when New Yorkers applauded from their windows each night for medical staff and essential workers.

36 Famous Authors Co-Wrote a Pandemic Novel. Can You Guess Who Drafted Each Section?

Margaret Atwood, R.L. Stine and John Grisham are among the writers who collaborated on "Fourteen Days," which follows a group of New Yorkers who gather on a Manhattan rooftop to swap stories beginning in March 2020

An illustration of the DART spacecraft next to the asteroid, Dimorphos, and the larger asteroid it orbits, Didymos.

Asteroid Hit by NASA Spacecraft Was Reshaped by the Collision, Study Finds

Instead of forming a crater, the agency's intentional DART crash redistributed massive amounts of the asteroid and shot large quantities of rock into space

The clay head of the Roman god Mercury is roughly two inches long.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth 'Incredibly Rare' Roman-Era Clay Figurine of the God Mercury

The excavations led to the discovery of a previously unknown ancient Roman settlement in England

Because the fish are translucent and they lack skulls, they're a favorite research subject of neuroscientists.

This Tiny Fish Can Make Sounds That Rival an Airplane or an Elephant—Now, Scientists Know How

Transparent and just half an inch long, male Danionella cerebrum can make noises of more than 140 decibels

Remains of a stillborn infant with Down syndrome from the Iron Age, found in a 2,800-year-old house at the Las Eretas archaeological site in Spain.

DNA Reveals Presence of Down Syndrome in Ancient Society

The burials of infants with Down syndrome in Europe provide insight into how babies with genetic conditions were cared for in premodern times, according to a new study

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which stretches across North Carolina and Tennessee, was the most-visited park of 2023.

These Were the Most—and Least—Popular National Parks in 2023

The National Park Service recorded 325,498,646 recreation visits across 400 sites, which is close to pre-pandemic levels

The mural, now known as Entrée du port, depicts buildings, ship banners and masts piercing a sky.

Cool Finds

This Cézanne Mural Was Hidden in the Walls of the Artist's Family Home

Workers found fragments of a naval scene while renovating the mansion in the south of France

Gene editing has produced a healthy "founder population" of pigs that are immune to a deadly virus called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, according to a new study.

Gene-Edited Pork Could Be Coming Soon to Your Dinner Plate

Scientists are using CRISPR technology to make pigs immune to a deadly virus—and they're hoping for FDA approval by early next year

An adult humpback whale and calf. In the new study, the researchers blew air into the larynxes of three deceased whales, including a humpback, to learn how the the organ makes sound.

Scientists Discover How Some Whales Can Sing While Holding Their Breath Underwater

Baleen whales have evolved unique voice boxes essential for song, a new study finds—but these low-frequency vocalizations must compete with the noise of humans' ships

The 1,500-year-old gold ring's semiprecious red stone likely served as a symbol of power.

Cool Finds

Metal Detectorist Finds Rare 1,500-Year-Old Gold Ring in Denmark

The distinctly decorated artifact may be linked to a powerful family in the area with ties to the Merovingians

Joro spiders aren't particularly bothered by the vibrations of a busy city environment.

Joro Spiders, Spreading in the Southeast, Can Survive Surprisingly Well in Cities

Unlike most spiders, the hustle and bustle of urban areas doesn’t seem to disturb the non-native Joros, a new study finds

Keith Richards and his partner Anita Pallenberg at the 1971 Monaco grand prix

Cool Finds

See Stunning Photos of the Rolling Stones Found in a London Loft

The previously unseen images of the band are going on display in a new exhibition, "Elegantly Wasted"

Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, sits in a tree in Central Park. The bird roosted and hunted in the park during the year following his escape, becoming popular with local birders, before his death on February 23.

Flaco, the Famous Owl That Escaped the Central Park Zoo, Dies After Hitting a Building

The Eurasian eagle-owl had been living free in New York City after someone cut the wires on his zoo cage last year

The Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, had cramped Army-style barracks that housed thousands of Japanese Americans and people of Japanese descent.

A Japanese American Incarceration Camp in Colorado Is America’s Newest National Park

More than 10,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned at the Granada Relocation Center, also known as Amache, during World War II

Page 55 of 991