Weird News

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Supposed Maya predictions of the end of the world in 2012 have some people seriously scared. See what experts say about the unknown planet predicted to pummel Earth, the cataclysmic "galactic alignment," and more.

November 6, 2009
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Just as some people today believe a Maya calendar pinpoints 2012 as the end of the world as we know it, people through centuries and across cultures have long forecast our collective doom.

November 5, 2009
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Hyper-real animation—think movies like The Polar Express or Beowulf—can get too realistic for comfort, psychologists say. And according to a new study, monkeys might agree.

November 3, 2009
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From AquaPenguin to Charlie the Robo-Tuna, underwater robots are going wild as scientists find nature has often already conquered their engineering challenges.

October 30, 2009
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"Absolutely sensational" new pictures are rare proof that the world's largest toothed whales feed on elusive giant squid. And if researchers are right, the photos may also show a baby whale's hunting lessons.

October 30, 2009
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Get spooked by a ghostshark, a "Dracula" fish, a carnivorous sea squirt, and more of 2009's freakiest finds.

October 29, 2009
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In time for Halloween, archaeologists have unearthed a witch bottle—a stone jug that may have contained toenails, hair, and other bodily bits to deter witches and other evildoers.

October 29, 2009
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At Halloween, pause to remember the animal "undead"—before they remember you. From "resurrected" spiders to mind-controlled ants to reanimated frozen frogs, some wildlife is wild "dead" too.

October 28, 2009
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Get the facts on Halloween history, today's most popular costumes, record-breaking pumpkins, and more in National Geographic News's 2009 Halloween roundup.

Updated October 28, 2009
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Wild dromedary camels, brought to Australia in the mid-19th century to help explore and develop the outback, were left to breed and survive on their own. Now they number a million in the wild and have become pests, officials say. Video.

October 26, 2009
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From "cannibal" water beetles to blind cave eels, hundreds of newfound subterranean animals have revealed unexpected diversity in the dry Australian outback.

October 22, 2009
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A new robot sweats, moans, and exhibits symptoms of the H1N1 swine flu virus. Unveiled Thursday in Japan, the robot is to help train health care workers. Video.

October 22, 2009
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Putting a new spin on the term "nuclear waste dump," radioactive droppings from Cold War-era critters have spurred a high-tech cleanup funded by the current U.S. government economic stimulus program.

October 21, 2009
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The female of the new golden orb-weaver species Nephila komaci has a leg span of up to five inches—about ten times larger than the male—say scientists who found the giant web-spinning spider.

October 21, 2009
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Police in Australia say a blood-engorged leech, through DNA testing, led them to a man responsible for the robbery eight years ago of a 71-year-old woman.Video

October 20, 2009

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