Smart News

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Could a Whale Accidentally Swallow You? It Is Possible

Whale sharks probably can't fit you down their esophagus, but mariners claim that sperm whales have swallowed people in the past

Students act out a bullying exercise.

Bullying Really Does Mess You Up Later in Life

A recent study linked bullying during childhood to higher instances of psychological disorders

A golden mole

For Female Golden Moles, Size Does Matter

Females judge potential mates by their penis sizes, which they use to gauge a male's attractiveness for copulation

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More than Half of Our ‘Tuna’ Isn’t Really Tuna

Around one-third of 1,200 seafood samples from restaurants and grocery stores around the U.S. were not from the fish their label claimed to be

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Artificial Wetland Uses Bacteria to Clean Pharmaceuticals From Sewage

By harnessing bacteria to do the heavy lifting, a way to clean pharmaceuticals from waste water

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Dolphins May Have Names for One Another

Whether dolphin vocalizations should be considered names and are used in a way comparable to humans remains contested, but research suggests that they may

Brace Yourselves, the Drought’s Not Close to Over Yet

Unless we get a lot of rain, soon, the U.S. is heading for another summer of drought

An experimental 3D representation of the nebula IC 1396

Amazing Astrophotography Lets You See Nebulae in 3D

Gorgeous animated gifs give depth to stunning nebulae

Children in the U.S. Are Eating Fewer Calories, But Fewer Is Still Too Many

Heath experts warn that the decline in calorie intake was pretty incremental, meaning we're not out of the obesity epidemic woods quite yet

Couples Who Share Grief Fare Better on the Long Term

After the death of a child, those that stay strong for the sake of their partner tend to suffer most and cope least well while also hurting their spouse

In China, most electricity comes from coal power plants. A turn to natural gas could help limit carbon dioxide emissions.

Natural Gas Fracking May Be the Only Industry in China That’s Developing Slowly

It has the largest shale gas reserves in the world, but China is slow to push for fracking

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Touch a Manatee, Spend Six Months in Jail

After posting photos on Facebook of himself and his two young daughters playing with a baby manatee, a Florida man was arrested by the wildlife authorities

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Scientists’ Best Idea for Saving Endangered Fish Isn’t Really Working

Fish ladders, meant to help swimming fish navigate dams, don't really work

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Scientists Pluck Blind Shrimp and Other Strange Life Forms From World’s Deepest Hydrothermal Vent

More than three miles beneath the waves, the world's deepest hydrothermal vent is home to ghostly creatures

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The World’s Greatest Angling Authors Went by Names Like ‘Badger Hackle’ and ‘Old Log’

If you're an angler and an author, there's a good chance you're using a pen name

Google Glasses Might Go Hipster With Warby Parker

What if the nerdy Google Glasses were put into an acceptably nerdy frame? Like, say, a pair of Warby Parkers?

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The Hunt for a New, Copyright-Free Happy Birthday Song

In the United States, "Happy Birthday to You"—one of the most popular songs in the world—is still under copyright. And it will be until 2030

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Tasmanian Kelp Forests You Didn’t Know Existed Are Disappearing

Didn't know there were kelp forests off of Tasmania? Apparently there are. And apparently they might not be there for long

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What Rock-Paper-Scissors Can Tell Us About Decision Making

The knowledge that scissors cuts paper, that rock smashes scissors, and that paper covers rock, is key in childhood development. But the same logic might also be a way to think about psychology too

Superior navigation in men isn’t an evolutionary adaptation from our cavemen days, new research shows. Photo: Steve Drake, Beckman Institute, U. of I.

Men Are Better Navigators Than Women, But Not Because of Evolution

Navigational abilities may be a side effect of higher testosterone levels

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