Smart News

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Now We Know Why Rainbows Split in Two

Though much of the physics behind rainbows is still cloaked in colorful mystery, researchers have at last unlocked some of the secrets behind the peculiar optics of the twinned rainbow.

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New Forensics Tool for Catching Elephant Poachers

Good news on the illegal wildlife trade front: a new forensic genetics tool allows scientists to pinpoint where seized illegal ivory originates

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No One Knows When You’re Being Sarcastic in Emails

People often think their sarcasm is obvious, while receivers aren't always so quick to get the joke.

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Sir Bernard Lovell, The Man The Soviets Tried to Poison With Uranium, Dies at 98

Lovell, of the Lovell telescope, made several advances in radio astronomy and physics.

The Campi Flegrei caldera lies to the west of of Naples in southern Italy. (Naples is the giant city on the right).

Italian Supervolcano Could End Eurozone Crisis the Easy Way

Deep underground in southern Italy, just outside the city of Naples, the Campi Flegrei supervolcano has been resting for the past 500 years

In 1956, Two Kittens Crossed the Atlantic on a Raft

On a wooden raft two kittens (and three sailors) traveled from Canada to Cornwall

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Playfulness Increases a Person’s Sexiness, New Research Finds

New research shows that, unlike most animals, many adult humans continue to engage in playful behavior well into their summer and autumn years, and that this fun-loving attitude may help them score big when it comes to the opposite sex.

Down and down and down it goes. Arctic sea ice extent, 1979 to 2012.

Everything You Need to Know About Arctic Sea Ice Melt, in One 10-Second Animated Gif

The Arctic is melting,

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Man Wears Artificial Uterus for Science & His Wife

In rural Southern India, a husband has embarked upon perhaps the most chivalrous mission ever: designing an affordable menstrual pad for local women

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Landing Curiosity on Mars was Way Harder and Way Less Expensive than the Olympics

Landing a car-sized rover on a distant planet using a sky crane is really hard, and really awesome.

Mark Twain. Left: Photographed by Life Magazine. Left, in Tesla’s Lab, photographed by Wutz

The Only Footage of Mark Twain in Existence

This silent film footage was taken in 1909 by Thomas Edison at Mark Twain's estate

Longhorn cattle in Houston, Texas.

Why Do Cows Have Spots?

Cows' mottled coats may have evolved to help keep flies away.

“The Energy-Water Collision”

41% of Water in the US is Used for Power Generation

The Union of Concerned Scientists describes how warming and drought can cause problems for power generation

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How to Recognize and Avoid Fake Health Food

It's no surprise that many of food health labels stray from truth, but how can we cut the rubbish and identify the things that are actually good for us?

The European Space Agency wants to put an unmanned lander on the Moon in 2018.

India Wants to go to Mars Too, And Other Upcoming Space Missions

Though all eyes are on Curiosity, space agencies from around the world have by no means been resting on their laurels.

In Step With Income Inequality, US Cities More Geographically Segregated than Ever

Residential segregation has increased by income in 27 out of 30 of America's metropolises, and in some cases translates to shorter lives in poorer areas

Political geography of America, March 30 1822 to November 15 1824

170 Years of America’s Evolution In One Animated GIF

In one click, the drifting lines and changing colors take you through 170 years of history.

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Scientists Explain How an All Drug Olympics Could Create the Greatest Athletes Ever

If we let athletes dope all they want, just how big, fast and strong can they really get?

Jesse Owens

76 Years Ago Today, Jesse Owens Proved the Nazis Wrong

In 1936 Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, throwing the idea of Aryan supremacy back into Hitler's face

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Teens Predict Their Own Downward Spirals

For teens, having low expectations about living long, healthy lives turns out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

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