Smart News

Rats make a high-pitched sound similar to laughter when they're being tickled.

Tickling Rats Reveals a Brain Region Linked to Laughter and Play

This group of neurons could someday inform the treatment of depression and anxiety in humans, scientists say

A woman with long Covid, suffering symptoms including extreme fatigue and brain fog, rests on her couch on February 3, 2022.

Long Covid's Brain Fog Is Akin to 'Aging Ten Years,' Study Finds

Scientists tested the cognitive function of more than 3,000 participants and found those with longer-lasting Covid symptoms had the strongest decline

The Los Angeles thread millipede (Illacme socal)

New 486-Legged Millipede Species Found Near Los Angeles

The discovery by two naturalists demonstrates that unknown creatures can lie "right below our feet"

The grave held a sword, usually buried with men, as well as a mirror, usually buried with women.

New Research

Iron Age Warrior Buried With a Sword and Mirror Was a Woman, Study Says

The unusual burial on a small island off of England sheds new light on women's role in Iron Age warfare

Permafrost melts into the Kolyma River outside of Zyryanka, Russia, in 2019. The worms in the new study seem to have survived buried deep in the permafrost for tens of thousands of years.

Scientists Revive 46,000-Year-Old Roundworms From Siberian Permafrost

The nematodes had survived in a state of slowed metabolism called cryptobiosis, according to a new paper

The abdomens of Australian honeypot ants can swell to hold honey that the colony uses as a food source when stores run low. 

Honey Made by Ants Could Protect Against Bacteria and Fungi

Australian honeypot ants create and store a sugary substance that may kill microbes, per a new paper that aligns with Indigenous knowledge

The interior of Transfiguration Cathedral, the largest church building of Odesa, was damaged by a Russian missile that hit the altar on July 23.

Russian Strike Severely Damages Odesa's Transfiguration Cathedral

Congregants sifted through the wreckage, clearing rubble and searching for artifacts

An illustration of the small dog found at a Roman villa in Oxfordshire, England

Cool Finds

Remains of Chihuahua-Sized Dog Unearthed at Roman Britain Villa

The tiny pup was likely a beloved pet, not an animal bred for hunting or herding

Rice's whales were initially thought to be a subspecies of Bryde’s whales—until scientists figured out they were a distinct species.

Fishermen Spot Rare Endangered Rice's Whale in the Gulf of Mexico

Scientists say no more than 100 individuals of the species exist in the wild, placing the Rice's whale among the scarcest marine mammals in the world

Paul Kaufmann inherited several of what are thought to be fragments of Ludwig van Beethoven's skull, which he has donated to the Medical University of Austria.

Skull Fragments Thought to Be Beethoven's Return to Vienna

The composer asked that, following his death, his physician study the illnesses that plagued him during his life

Fork-tailed drongos have a signature color and pattern on their eggs, which helps them avoid getting duped by African cuckoos.

How These Birds Can Spot Look-Alike 'Imposter' Eggs in Their Nests

Fork-tailed drongos can identify and reject egg forgeries, laid by African cuckoos, with nearly 94 percent accuracy, new research suggests

David Grusch, former national reconnaissance officer representative of the UAP Task Force at the U.S. Department of Defense, testifies during a House Oversight Committee hearing.

Whistleblower Alleges U.S. Government Is Covering Up Alien Life at UFO Hearing

A Pentagon spokesperson has denied the claims, while lawmakers are pushing for information on UFOs to be declassified

Archaeologists recovered a collection of blown-glass tableware in excellent condition.

Cool Finds

'Perfectly Preserved' Glassware Recovered From 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck

The Roman vessel may have sunk while transporting glass from the Middle East to France

In 1946, the British garrison welcomed the returning residents of Alderney, who had evacuated prior to the Nazi occupation in 1940. 

How Many Died in Nazi Concentration Camps on British Soil?

The U.K. is investigating the death toll on the island of Alderney, which German soldiers occupied in 1940

A diver swims around a coral reef in Key West, Florida, on July 14, 2023. Coral reefs in the Florida Keys are at risk of bleaching and death because of very hot water temperatures this summer.

Water Temperatures Hit 'Hot Tub' Levels in the Florida Keys

A buoy in Manatee Bay recorded 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday evening, as coral reefs suffer

Researchers say that as climate change melts ice in Greenland, the influx of cool freshwater could weaken a network of ocean currents that affects Earth's weather.

A Vital Ocean Current System Could Collapse as Soon as 2025, Study Predicts

Climate change could halt the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation sooner than thought, per a new paper, but some scientists are skeptical

The ban would apply to ships arriving at Cruise Port Amsterdam, currently located in the city's center.

Amsterdam Bans Cruise Ships to Combat Pollution and Overtourism

The city council has approved a plan to close and relocate the cruise terminal in the city's center

Ian Shaw, Demetri Goritas and Liam Murray Scott perform in The Shark Is Broken during the show's 2021 run in London. Ian Shaw reprises his role on Broadway, playing his father, Robert Shaw, while co-stars Colin Donnell and Alex Brightman play Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss, respectively.

Based on a True Story

'The Shark Is Broken' Brings the Making of 'Jaws' to Broadway

The play examines the tensions stirring between the film's three leads as they navigate a chaotic production process

Artist Oscar Nilsson based the facial reconstruction on DNA and skeletal analyses.

Art Meets Science

See the Face of a Woman Who Died in a Shipwreck in 1628

A new facial reconstruction vividly resurrects Gertrude, one of 30 people killed during the sinking of the Swedish warship "Vasa"

Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, at home in Chicago

Biden Establishes National Monument Honoring Emmett Till and His Mother

Three sites connected to the 14-year-old boy's murder in 1955 will now receive federal protection

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