What NASA's Retired InSight Lander Taught Us About Mars

The Red Planet robot was officially decommissioned after dust on its solar panels robbed it of power | Continue reading


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Helicopters Evacuate Travelers Stranded at Machu Picchu

Hundreds of tourists found themselves trapped at the site as protests spread through Peru | Continue reading


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Denisovan DNA May Have Shaped Immune Systems in Papua New Guinea

The inherited genetic mutations might provide an advantage in fighting diseases | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Richard Avedon Pushed the Boundaries of Portrait Photography

Twenty iconic works by the master photographer invite museumgoers to engage in the hard conversations that challenge us today | Continue reading


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Unearthing the Original Mediterranean Diet

An archaeologist works to find out how much fish ancient Greeks ate | Continue reading


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Did Jack Really Need to Sacrifice Himself for Rose? 'Titanic' Director Says No

James Cameron commissioned a study to prove that his characters' tragic ending was inevitable | Continue reading


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These Wasps Can Fight Predators With Their Spiky Genitalia

The insects jabbed their spines at hungry frogs in a similar way to how females sting | Continue reading


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Steven Spielberg Regrets How 'Jaws' Impacted Real-World Sharks

The movie contributed to a rise in shark trophy hunting | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Best Board Games of 2022

Players of all ages will have to make room in their closets for these selections | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Take a Sneak Peek at Amtrak’s Newest Trains

The Airo trains will have larger windows, newly designed cafe cars and updated seating | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This New Shock-Absorbing Gel Can Withstand Supersonic Impacts

Made from a resilient protein in human cells, the technology could improve body armor, space gear and even cell phone cases | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

U.S. Restores J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Security Clearance After 68 Years

The “father of the atomic bomb” was accused of being a communist, ending his career | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Top Eight Ocean Stories of 2022

The biggest saltwater moments of the year included major discoveries that inspired awe | Continue reading


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What Nativity Scenes Tell Us About the Evolution of Christianity

From ancient mosaics to Saint Francis of Assisi, depictions of Jesus's birth reflect the changing conventions of the world's largest religion | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Iran Arrests One of Its Most Famous Actresses

Taraneh Alidoosti was detained after criticizing the government’s execution of a protester | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

'Warm Banks' at U.K. Libraries Invite Locals to Get Cozy

To help with rising energy bills, they're providing everything from warm drinks to winter coats | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why Los Angeles Fell in Love With the Mountain Lion Known as P-22

A local celebrity, the feline that was the face of several conservation campaigns died this weekend | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why Do Some Black Bears Have Brown Fur?

New research pinpoints the 9,000-year-old genetic mutation that gives some black bears a cinnamon-colored hue | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Ten Best Children's Books of 2022

This year’s top titles include a fairy-tale remake, a clever counting book and a survey of architectural wonders the world over | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

For 158 Years, a Cézanne Self-Portrait Hid Behind a Still Life of Bread and Eggs

While examining the painting, a museum employee had a hunch—and called for an X-ray | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Paleontologists May Have Solved the Mystery Behind a Prehistoric Reptile Graveyard

Ichthyosaur mothers likely migrated to the site to give birth | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

A Brief History of Christmas Markets

Now a global phenomenon, the holiday tradition traces its roots to medieval Europe | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

National Archives Releases Thousands of Kennedy Assassination Files

Over 97 percent of documents related to the event are now publicly available | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Unraveling the Secrets of the Sarcophagi Found Beneath Notre-Dame Cathedral

Archaeologists are learning more about the two men buried under the iconic Paris landmark | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

New York Bans Sale of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits in Pet Stores

The law, meant to combat abusive breeders, will take effect in 2024 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

From 'Iron Man' to 'When Harry Met Sally,' These Are the 25 New Additions to the National Film Registry

Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films of “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance” | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

NASA Launches New Satellite to Study Earth’s Water

The mission’s data could paint a clearer picture of the effects of climate change | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why the U.S. Rejected—Then Embraced—a Detroit Industrialist's Rare Collection of Asian Art

The legacy of voracious collector Charles Lang Freer, a good friend of James McNeill Whistler, is marked by tension and irony | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Top Ten Dinosaur Discoveries of 2022

From scientists uncovering the first dinosaur built to swim to finding a new species that looked a lot like T. rex, these were the year's biggest stories | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Spain's Oft-Forgotten Nazi Ties

A new law recognizes the thousands of Spaniards killed by the Germans during World War II | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Human Ancestors May Have Evolved to Walk Upright in Trees

Research on wild chimpanzees suggests searching for food in tree branches drove bipedalism | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

London Initiative Will Give Away 1,000 Free Theater Tickets Every Week

The program aims to make culture accessible amidst the rising cost of living | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Scientists Create a Vaccine Against Fentanyl

Researchers hope the vaccine, which blocked the drug from entering rats’ brains, could help reduce overdoses in humans | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Millions of Pilgrims Gathered to Celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City

After two years of pandemic closures, the annual tradition is back in full force | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Richmond Removes Its Last City-Owned Confederate Monument

The statue of Ambrose P. Hill had stood at a busy intersection since 1892 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Iceland's Christmas Book Flood Is a Force of Nature

The nation’s seasonal publishing and gifting tradition nourishes its unique literary culture | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Ten Strange and Amazing Historical Artifacts We’ve Launched to Space

As spaceflight catapults us into a high-tech future, several missions have made sure to honor the past | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Ukraine Calls for Boycott of 'The Nutcracker' and Other Russian Works

Critics argue that connecting Russia's culture with its current leadership is counterproductive | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Is Popular A.I. Photo App Lensa Stealing From Artists?

The tool went viral first for generating flattering portraits—and then for igniting ethical concerns | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Listen to the Sound of a Dust Devil Swirling Around on Mars

For the first time, scientists have recorded the noise of a Martian dust storm using a microphone on NASA's Perseverance rover | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

For Pain Relief, Cannabis May Be No Better Than a Placebo

Previous research has shown the placebo effect can be extremely powerful, rivaling ibuprofen or morphine | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

These Pants Were Pulled From an 1857 Shipwreck. Are They the World's Oldest Jeans?

After more than a century at the bottom of the ocean, the garment fetched $114,000 at auction | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Little-Known Story of the First Washington Monument

A granite tower in western Maryland, the structure predates the obelisk on the National Mall by more than two decades | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Angelo Badalamenti, Who Composed Ethereal Scores for 'Twin Peaks' and 'Blue Velvet,' Dies at 85

He was one of David Lynch's closest collaborators—and wrote one of TV's most memorable themes | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Here's What Really Happens When You Flush a Toilet

Using lasers and cameras, scientists visualized the plume of tiny, aerosolized particles ejected from commercial toilets during flushing | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Fusion Breakthrough Raises Hopes for Clean Energy

This process that powers stars is still decades away from widespread use on Earth | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

One of New York City's Oldest Gay Bars Is Now a Historic Landmark

The bar was the site of a "sip-in" in 1966, several years before the Stonewall riots | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Who Gets to Tell the Story of Ancient Egypt?

On the eve of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, some of the country's artifacts, from the Rosetta Stone to the bust of Nefertiti, remain overseas | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago