Smart News

Every Time You Curse, You're Participating in a Weirdly Complex Cultural History

The words we consider naughty are a reflection of how we see ourselves as a culture

Strategy for pumping while seated.

What’s the Best Way to Swing a Playground Swing?

There is physics everywhere, including on the playground

Many public schools currently serve lunch on one-use-only foam trays.

Six Public School Systems Are Trying to Replace Foam Lunch Trays With Compostable Ones

Healthier food and less wasteful utensils and packaging are next on the school lunch reform list

Would you murder this robot?

Should Robots Have Rights?

Would you murder a robot? If you did, should you be charged for it?

Chelodina mccordi, hunted to near extinction for the pet trade.

Poachers Are Using Scientific Papers to Guide Them to Their Next Victims

For scientists who discover new species, the prospect of their science being used to gather and sell the species they described is a strange one

Nope nope nope

If Cockroaches Are Conscious, Would That Stop You From Smushing Them?

Research has shown cockroaches are adept communicators, and can even show individual personality

Microbes May Be Responsible For Wine Regions’ Distinctive Flavors

Wines' regionally-distinctive flavors may be caused by the bacteria and fungi that live on the grapes

The Hunger Games Is Getting More People Interested in Archery

For Hunger Games fans, there's a new hobby in town: archery

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Scientists Accidentally Captured the Sound of Poachers Killing an Elephant, And It’s Very, Very Sad

A microphone network meant to eavesdrop on elephants' conversations ended up hearing something far more gruesome

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This Hurricane Season Was Way Less Awful Than People Expected

This year's hurricane season - which ends tomorrow - has been far more subdued than experts predicted

The Pictures in Your Home Goods Catalogs Are Probably Computer Rendered

Some materials are harder to render than others, but soon those catalogs will be full of space that never existed in the real world

Paralyzed patient Jason Disanto navigates through a room full of obstacles by guiding the wheelchair with his tongue.

This Wheelchair Is Controlled By a Paralyzed Patient’s Tongue

The next step, the researchers say, is to move the system outside of the lab and hospital and into the real-world environment for testing

Hockey Players Sue League For Failing to Address Head Injuries

On Monday, ten retired N.H.L. players sued the league for fraud and negligence

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Meet Brazil’s Adorable New Wildcat Species

Also known as little spotted cats, tigrillo, tigrinas or tiger cats, it turns out these wild felines are not one but two distinct species

Same-Sex Parenting Can Be an Adaptive Advantage

Same-sex bird couples produced fewer offspring than traditional couples, but they still reared more chicks than solo parents

Apple’s Working on a New Camera That Will End Blurry Photos Forever

Apple's new patent for a light field camera could bring refocuseable photos to a camera near you

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Which Seat Should You Pick at the Movie Theater?

When you walk into a theater, you're probably still going to argue with your friends about which seat to pick. But now you know the right answer

Before Trivia Nights, Bars Had Turkey Raffles

There were lots of ways you could win the turkey at the bar. They all involved drinking

Bodies of would-be native mates may have nourished this invasive female M. caffra, here pictured laying eggs.

New Zealand’s Native Mantises Are a Little Too Attracted to Invasive Females

Nearly 70 percent of love-blinded males that were lured towards the invasive females were then eaten by the object of their desire

Here’s How Astronauts Will Eat Thanksgiving Dinner in Space

Yum yum yum, irradiated smoked turkey and thermostabilized yams

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