Smart News

Congress Designates the First Wilderness Area in Five Years

32,500 acres of lakeshore along Lake Michigan have been designated as wilderness by Congress

March 7, 2014

If the World Continues to Heat Up, Chipotle Says Guacamole Could Be in Jeopardy

Of course, guacamole isn't the only staple of modern society threatened by climate change

March 7, 2014

An Average-Looking Doll Comes to the Rescue of Barbie-Addled Girls

A new Barbie-like doll with realistic proportions might help dispel stereotypes that influence little girls

March 6, 2014

Rocket cat and rocket bird, Buch von den probierten Künsten, Franz Helm, c 1535.

Incendiary Bats, Rocket Cats: Military Strategists Will Dream of Attaching Firepower to Anything That Moves

In 16th century manuscripts, drawings of feline grenades

March 6, 2014

Some Totally Normal People Just Don’t Like Music That Much

While some of us find ourselves quietly crying in the middle of a Target when some dumb song comes on, others are unmoved

March 6, 2014

If We're Going to Climb Mountains, First the Earth Needs to Make Them

Temujin Doran's video explores the processes that affect mountain evolution

March 6, 2014

Some Tattoo Inks Can Burn You During an MRI

It's rare, and no good reason to skip your MRI, but it can happen

March 6, 2014

How Taboos Around Menstruation Are Hurting Women's Health

Poor menstrual hygiene and social stigmas can hurt women's health, and the economy

March 6, 2014

This Prosthetic Hand Lets a Drummer Play Again

“I’ll bet a lot of metal drummers might be jealous of what I can do now,” he said. “Speed is good. Faster is always better”

March 6, 2014

Musicians Are Better Able to Identify a World-Class Orchestra by Sight Than by Sound

Allowing musicians to both hear and see an orchestra playing actually lowers their ability to tell if it's world-class

March 6, 2014

If You're Not Straight, You're at Higher Risk for Domestic Violence

And most help-centers and laws focus exclusively on straight female victims

March 5, 2014

If You Like Gore, You'll Like Watching This Eyeball Get Dissected

Mind the eye juice

March 5, 2014

Sea Level Rise Might Drown a Fifth of All UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House are under threat

March 5, 2014

Singapore Is the World’s Most Expensive City

Tokyo has been dethroned

March 5, 2014

Europa as seen by NASA's Galileo spacecraft.

NASA Wants to Take a Closer Look at the Water on Jupiter’s Moon

Part of NASA's tentative 2015 budget includes planning for a mission to Europa

March 5, 2014

Tennessee Is About To Get a New State Artifact

A Native American sculpture is about to become Tennessee's state artifact

March 5, 2014

This Organization Recycles 120,000 Pounds of Mardi Gras Beads Each Year

That’s more than 60 walruses (by mass) worth of beads

March 5, 2014