Invented by a Woman Activist, an Early 1970s Rape Kit Arrives at the Smithsonian

Martha Goddard didn’t receive much recognition—instead she got the job done | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Seagrass Can Work as a Sanitation Service

Millions of cases of potentially deadly gastroenteritis are prevented each year because of the pathogen-reducing powers of the plant | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This 308-Year-Old Violin Could Become the Most Expensive Violin Ever Sold

The “da Vinci, ex-Seidel” instrument's estimated worth is $20 Million | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Fifty Years Later, Researchers Unbox Samples From Apollo 17

The lunar surface material was kept in a freezer at NASA's Johnson Space Center since December 1972 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Ancient Roman Sculpture Likely Looted During WWII Turns Up at Texas Goodwill

Experts are debating who the bust portrays, but they agree on one thing—a thrift store is an unusual spot to find a millennia-old statue | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Porcine Virus May Have Led to the Death of First-Ever Pig Heart Transplant Patient

Doctors say this infection will likely be preventable in future pig heart transplants | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Treasure Hunter Unearths 2.38-Carat 'Frankenstone' Diamond

Adam Hardin discovered the impressive brown gem at an Arkansas state park | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This Liquid Metal Could Transform Soft Electronics

Bend it. Stretch it. Use it to conduct electricity. Researchers are exploring a range of applications that harness gallium's unusual properties | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Inside the Effort to Expand Virtual Reality Treatments for Mental Health

Medical professionals are embracing the technology to help patients deal with PTSD, anxiety disorders and more | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why Humans Sleep Less Than Their Primate Relatives

Ancient humans may have evolved to slumber efficiently—and in a crowd | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Six New Miniature Frog Species Discovered in Mexico

The amphibians are found under leaf litter and hatch fully grown | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This Tiny Yellow Robot Spies on Antarctica's Emperor Penguins

The vehicle dubbed ECHO slowly rolls up to the birds without stressing them and may allow researchers to monitor their ecosystem more closely | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Officials Will Release Less Water Into Lake Mead Because of Drought

Water levels in both Lake Mead and Lake Powell have dropped to historic lows as the West experiences the most severe megadrought in 1,200 years | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Race to Save Ukraine’s Sacred Art

The Bohorodchany Iconostasis has withstood religious persecution, revolutions and world wars. Can it survive Russia’s brutal assault? | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Meet the Muses Who Inspired Some of the World's Most Iconic Artworks

A new book examines the lives of muses across history and the role they played in shaping treasured works like "The Kiss" and "Ophelia" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Thieves Stole, Hacked Up and Sold Sculpture That Honored Famed Native American Ballerina

The culprits sawed the life-sized bronze tribute to Marjorie Tallchief into pieces | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Thieves Stole, Hacked Up and Sold Sculpture That Honored Famed Native American Ballerina

The culprits sawed the life-sized bronze tribute to Marjorie Tallchief into pieces | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Thousands of Andrew Wyeth Paintings Have Never Been Seen by the Public—Until Now

A new arrangement will make 7,000 of the American realist's works available to museums and researchers | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This Teenager Found a Way to Control Mosquitoes Using Essential Oils and Baker's Yeast

Aseel Rawashdeh's inexpensive larvicide kills disease-spreading species and spares beneficial ones | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

How to Find Wholeness in the Cracks of a 16th-Century Tea Bowl

A new exhibition, “Mind Over Matter,” invites viewers to pause and connect with the teachings of Zen Buddhism | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Amateur Archaeologist Stumbles Onto Trove of Coins Dated to Constantine the Great's Reign

Found in Switzerland, some of the buried Roman coins were minted during a time of relative political stability, between 332 and 335 C.E. | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

One in Five Reptiles Worldwide Are Threatened With Extinction

Researchers assessed over 10,000 species in a comprehensive new study | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Flooded by Tourists, Venice to Start Charging Access Fees

The pilot program to limit tourist access to the “Floating City” is voluntary—for now | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

An Ancient 'Harbor' Was Actually a Sacred Pool Designed for Scanning the Stars

Archaeologists think the devotional zone was dedicated to the god Ba'al | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Should the Skeleton of a Dinosaur That Helped Inspire 'Jurassic Park' Be Sold to the Highest Bidder?

The rare fossil could sell for $6 million at auction | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Second Man in Space Had a Wee Wish—That He'd Used the Bathroom Before Blasting Off

Alan B. Shepard's historic Mercury spacesuit undergoes hours of conservation work for its debut when the National Air and Space Museum opens this fall | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

In 1973, a Leak at the Supreme Court Broke News of an Imminent Ruling on Roe v. Wade

Nearly 50 years later, a similar disclosure revealed that the court is poised to overturn legalized abortion in the U.S. | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Future of Mental Health

A renewed focus on our brain's ability to cope with trauma sparks a special series of stories about the latest advancements in treatments of mental illness | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Surprisingly Long History of 'Choose-Your-Own-Adventure' Stories

From the 'I Ching' to an upcoming Netflix rom-com, interactive fiction dares us to decide what happens next | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

3-D Scans Reveal Gigantic Native American Cave Art in Alabama

A new analysis identifies four life-size human figures and an 11-foot rattlesnake drawn on the ceiling of an unnamed cavern | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Skulls Thought to Belong to Modern Murder Victims Actually Date to the Pre-Hispanic Period

Found in a cave in Mexico in 2012, the 10th- through 13th-century bones may have been displayed in a ritual tower of craniums | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

How a Network of Family-Owned Inns in Puerto Rico Is Preserving the Island's Culture

In beach towns and mountain villages, 'paradores' provide guests a truly authentic experience | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Wild Fox Kills 25 Flamingos and a Duck at the National Zoo

The incident is the first time a predator has broken into the exhibit in its 50 year history | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Gilded Age Excess Lived on at the 2022 Met Gala

Celebrities paid tribute to the era of extravagance through gold-adorned ensembles, splashy headdresses and more | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why Psychedelic Drugs May Become a Key Treatment for PTSD and Depression

Ecstasy and the active ingredient in magic mushrooms have shown promise in clinical trials, but more testing is needed | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Danish Biologists Cultivate Morel Mushrooms Year-Round With New Indoor Technique

The black morel mushrooms are grown in a climate-controlled environment that produces 20 pounds per square yard per year | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

In the Classical World, Persia's Powers Rivaled Greece and Rome

An exhibition at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles shows how ancient Iran held its own against its better-known contemporaries | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Robot Jumps a Record-Breaking 100 Feet in the Air

The device can launch three times higher than the current record for a robotic leap | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Innovation for Good

A look at the researchers, inventors and community leaders who are bringing creativity and ingenuity to today's biggest challenges | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This High Schooler Invented a Low-Cost, Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arm

Seventeen-year-old Benjamin Choi put his spare time during the pandemic to good use designing an accessible device that doesn't require brain surgery | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

How Fraudsters Allegedly Fooled the Art World in 15-Year Scheme

Federal prosecutors say scammers sold fraudulent paintings and memorabilia to collectors and auction houses | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Inside Hieronymus Bosch's Surreal Visions of Heaven and Hell

A new exhibition in Budapest features almost 90 works by the Dutch artist and his peers | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Overshadowed by a Famous Friend, Pop Artist Marisol Finally Receives Overdue Recognition

A new exhibition examines the sculptor’s friendship with Andy Warhol—and puts her back in the artistic canon of the 1960s | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Discover the Microscopic Wonders of Olympus' 2021 Image of the Year Awards

Just in time for spring, several winners capture a close-up view of fern spores to pollen tubes hidden in a flower petal | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

English Is the Language of Science. That Isn’t Always a Good Thing

How a bias toward English-language science can result in preventable crises, duplicated efforts and lost knowledge | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Experience Basque Country Mystique

Hidden in plain sight along the Atlantic coastline connecting France and Spain, surprises abound in this ancient, autonomous community | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Deep in the Swamps, How Fugitive Slaves Kept Their Freedom

The Great Dismal Swamp was once a thriving refuge for runaways | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Unsuccessful WWII Plot to Fight the Japanese with Radioactive Foxes (2020)

An outlandish idea codenamed ‘Operation Fantasia’ aimed to demoralize the Axis power by mimicking legendary spirits | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago