Smart News

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Platonic Friendships Between the Sexes Are Impossible

New research says it's not really possible for straight guys and gals to ever be "just friends"

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There’s No Such Thing As Espresso

Espresso is widely misunderstood and hard to define

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These Were the First Debates Since 1988 In Which Climate Change Went Unmentioned

Climate change was conspicuously missing from this season's presidential debates, the first time the topic has not come up since 1988

A beluga whale

Beluga Whale Learns to Speak Like a Human

Beluga whales can vocalize in a way remarkably close to human speech, according to new observations

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Will NASA’s Newest Crowdsourcing Gambit End with a Curiosity or a COLBERT?

NASA needs your help naming its new research facility

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Young People Still Love Libraries

Most Americans between 16 - 29 still use the library to get books—real, paper books

Five Kid Concussions in One Game Have Parents Questioning Pop Warner Football

Those concussions have hurtled this game to the forefront of the ongoing debate surrounding kids and football

Even Darwin Could Be a Debbie Downer

A few bouts of angst written by Darwin reveal that no one is immune to the blues

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The Best Graphics That Make You Realize You Don’t Know How Big Anything Actually Is

Here are the best scale visualizations out there, starting with the classic Powers of Ten video that melted the faces of everyone alive in 1977

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The Journalist Who Says ‘I Told You So’ About Lance Armstrong

For 13 years, journalist David Walsh pursued his theory that Lance was doping, but the USDA's recent announcement finally vindicated his long-held beliefs with hard evidence

Rubble from the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake.

Italian Scientists Sent to Jail Because They Downplayed the Risk of an Earthquake

Six scientists and one former government official will do time for failing to accurately convey the risk of an earthquake

In 2012 Election, Gender Gap Is As Wide As It’s Ever Been

Men and women haven't agreed in three elections: 1996, 2000 and 2004

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Two Pillars of Skepticism—Leon Jaroff and Paul Kurtz—Died This Weekend

Leon Jaroff and Paul Kurtz both died this weekend. Together, the two men represent some of the founding ideas of the modern skeptic community

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This Robot Dances Gangnam Style Better Than You

Charli, already a renowned soccer player, is now a slick dancer

Meet the idea killers.

Don’t Waste Your Best Ideas on Focus Groups

The best ideas would do terribly in focus groups, says designer Gianfranco Zaccai, because people don't know that they're going to like new things

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People Leave Hospitals Unhappy Because Doctors Are Mean

Many patients leave the emergency room unhappy because they feel belittled or ignored

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No Life Found In Lakes Beneath Antarctic Glaciers—Yet

Scientists hoping to find life beneath Antarctic ice have so far come up empty-handed

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This is What a Viral Image Spread Looks Like

Much like the fungus of the internet, viral images and posts spread and creep across all social media platforms

Indiana Jones Cat doesn’t mind snakes so much.

Men Chasing Cat Stumble Upon 2,000-Year-Old Roman Treasures

A 2,000-year old burial chamber was discovered with the help of a cat

The giant, newly discovered harvestman from Laos.

Giant, Foot-long Daddy Longlegs Discovered in Cave

A huge, 13-inch long harvestman - better known as a daddy longlegs - turned up in Laos

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