Smart News

War elephants depicted in the battle of Zama, 202 BC.

New Research

A Lesson from History: When Assembling an Army of War Elephants, Don’t Pick Inbred Ones

Even though African elephants usually trump Asian elephants for might and aggression, in 217 B.C. Ptolemy made the crucial mistake of choosing inbred ones

Rendering of map by artist John Swogger.

New Research

This Stone Age Mural Might Be the Oldest Map Ever

But before it can be crowned oldest map, archaeologists have to figure out whether it is a map at all

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Cool Finds

These Non-Gear Shaped Gears Work Better Than You’d Expect

These are the manic pixie dream gears you’ve been waiting for

The Chicago skyline during the polar vortex.

Trending Today

The Cold Snap Wasn’t Actually That Extreme, Global Warming Has Just Made Us Wimpy

The recent cold snap wouldn't have been so unusual in the past

Image: Dave Milsom

Cool Finds

Ultramarathoners Get Better With Age

Unlike sprinters or gymnasts, ultramarathoners are like a fine wine, getting better—or at least more durable—with age

New Research

These Slave-Making Ants Use Stealth, Not Force, to Take Prisoners

Chemical camouflage allow these tiny ants to sneak past enemies' defenses and steal their babies

New Research

Washing Old Money Could Save Billions of Dollars

A simple carbon dioxide wash could clean human "sebum" off old money, making those bills good as new

New Research

The More Fires Firefighters Are Exposed to, the More Heat Resistant They Become

As firefighters are exposed to more and more fires, their bodies evolve a tolerance for those inhospitable environments

Trending Today

International Space Station to Get a Four Year Life Extension

Then, in 2024, it has to crash into the ocean

New Research

Emperor Penguins Have Some Tricks to Help Cope with Climate Change

Some penguin colonies live off the ice

New Research

This Drug Turns Back Time in Your Brain, Until, Like a Kid, You Can Learn New Skills

By increasing neural plasticity, this drug could open your mind to new abilities

I heard you like stars.

Cool Finds

Astronomers Find What May Be a Star Within a Star

The best candidate yet for an elusive Thorne-Żytkow Object

Elvis Presley in 1957.

Cool Finds

Just in Time for His Birthday, a Photo Gives a Glimpse, Possibly, of Elvis’s Teen Years

Elvis has been gone for nearly 40 years, but a newly published photo shows the King at age 13

A little Shamu with your beer?

Cool Finds

Iceland Is Making Beer Out of Dead Whales

Unsurprisingly, whale lovers do not love this idea

Image: Denise Krebs

New Research

Readability Scores on Kids' Books Are Bogus

Most books come with an indication of how hard they are, and those estimates are mostly wrong

Forty Years Ago, Women Had a Hard Time Getting Credit Cards

Despite the law, a report from 2012 found that women still pay more for credit cards

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Being the Victim of Racism Seems to Accelerate Aging

This study brings further evidence to the scientific belief that "social toxins" such as racism have a very real impact on people's lives and health

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Expose Wounds to the Right Kind of Sounds, And They Heal Faster

Treatment with low-intensity ultrasound could help chronic wounds to heal

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Finally, an Opiate Test That Doesn't Confuse Poppy Seeds With Heroin

The days of heroin users leaning on bagels as a scapegoat are probably numbered

A mall in Dalian, China. Photo:

Some Chinese Malls Have “Husband Storage” Facilities for the Shopping-Averse

They offer a range of activities and services to "meet the needs of male customers," such as smoking, internet, drinking, snacks and "beautiful attendants"

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