The secret lives of dinosaurs
Ever since we learned about dinosaurs, we’ve been thinking about the differences between dinosaur sexes. Scientists have been studying it for decades and…
Author: The Smart Reader Staff
Briefs and quick reads selected and edited by The Smart Reader's editorial team.
Tech buyer’s guide: Laptops that won’t break the bank
Are you in the market for a budget laptop? Arm yourself with a little information before you pull out your credit card so you can make the most of your…
Romance scams target dating app users
After losing his wife of 43 years, 72-year-old Gary was understandably lonely, and used technology to dip a toe back into the dating pool. According to…
Will AI lose the copyright war after all?
Do tech companies need to seek permission before they train an AI model with copyrighted data? Yes, ruled one federal judge in February, concluding a…
Vin Vasive
Government has a mess of mascots Sports mascots have made waves over the years with their antics. Think of the San Diego Chicken who virtually created the…
One scary near miss
How do nuclear-capable countries know if a rocket is an attack — or just something scientific? Answer: The country firing the rocket is supposed to tell…
The plane is a Douglas Skymaster, which is mentioned in the story.
The most dangerous state to fly The ironic truth about Alaska: People must use a plane to travel Alaska and it’s one of the most dangerous places in the…
Pass the muskrat?
One little known Lenten meal tradition dates back to the 19th century when Catholics in Michigan were given special dispensation to eat Muskrat during…
Chinese scientists get creative with AI-powered robot cat
They call it a “robot dog,” but researchers at China’s University of Harbin took their inspiration from felines with an exploration robot that they hope…
DeepSeek emerges as AI dark horse
Most Americans had probably never heard of the Chinese tech startup DeepSeek at the start of 2025, but that changed in dramatic fashion within just a few…