Divers Accidentally Find a Piece of the Challenger Space Shuttle

A documentary film crew stumbled across a section of the destroyed spacecraft that measures at least 15 by 15 feet | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Rise and Fall, and Rise Again, of America’s First Celebrity—a Woman Who Loved Other Women

The world-famous actor Charlotte Cushman returns to the limelight, with her costumes going on view in a new Smithsonian exhibition | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

T. Rex Skull Named Maximus Could Sell for $20 Million

The bones belonged to a dinosaur that lived some 76 million years ago | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Octopuses Caught on Camera Throwing Debris at Each Other

Scientists say this is the first time they have documented the behavior among the tentacled sea creatures | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

You Can Rent Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Apartment and Art Studio—For $60,000

The artist rented the space from Andy Warhol between 1983 and 1988 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Soon After Dinosaur Decimation, Our Primate Ancestors Began Pouncing on Prey

Nails helped them climb trees quietly, and forward-facing eyes helped with depth perception to aid in precise leaping | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Getting Up Close to the Bears of Alaska's Lake Clark National Park

The high density of brown bears in the protected area makes it an ideal spot for viewing and research | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Discover the Fascinating True Events That Inspired Netflix’s Fifth Season of ‘The Crown’

Delve deep into an impressive collection of archival material, surprising facts and keen insights that bring the show’s history to life | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

14 Fun Facts About Black Panthers

Many of the Marvel superhero’s powers are inspired by the namesake predator | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Rewriting the Story of Ötzi, the Murdered Iceman

A new study suggests that nearly everything archaeologists thought they knew about the 5,300-year-old corpse’s preservation was wrong | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Did This Man Destroy a Frida Kahlo Drawing to Make an NFT?

Businessman Martin Mobarak's stunt is now under investigation by the Mexican government | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Massachusetts Museum Returns Wounded Knee Artifacts to Sioux Tribes

A ceremony on Saturday marked the conclusion of a long repatriation process | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Global Human Population to Reach Eight Billion by November 15

While U.N. officials warn against “population alarmism,” some experts say this milestone should be a wake-up call | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This Fish Eats Its Own Young

Some female cichlids counter the stress of protecting their offspring by munching on them, study suggests | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Archaeologists Find 24 Bronze Statues, Preserved in Tuscan Spa for 2,300 Years

The discovery provides insight into the transition from Etruscan to Roman rule | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Scientists Translate the Oldest Sentence Written in the First Alphabet

Inscribed on a Canaanite comb, the words reveal a struggle with head lice | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Meet Tessai, the Japanese Master Who Ushered in Modernism

Excitement builds for a rare showing of works by the 19th-century painter whose dynamic colors and bold brushstrokes mirrored the avant-garde of the West | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

See Inside the Rarely Seen and Newly Reimagined CIA Museum

Off-limits to all but a few in-person visitors, the museum is starting to welcome the public, online at least | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Mesoamerican Influences Behind Namor From 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'

The sequel to the 2018 Marvel blockbuster features a Maya-inspired antihero played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Astronomers Discover Closest Known Black Hole to Earth

Researchers believe there may be even nearer ones that have yet to be detected | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Bob Dylan Analyzes 66 Songs in New Essay Collection

"The Philosophy of Modern Song" offers a peek into the artist's approach to songwriting | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Archaeologists Discover 4,300-Foot-Long Tunnel Under Ancient Egyptian Temple

Researchers have been digging near the Taposiris Magna Temple in hopes of finding Cleopatra’s long-lost tomb | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Scientists Reconstruct Face of 19th-Century Man Accused of Being a Vampire

He was a victim of tuberculosis—and a target of the vampire panic that swept through New England | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Scientists Perform First Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood

A clinical trial is testing how lab-grown cells might help patients with blood disorders and rare blood types | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Springtails Are Nature’s Tiny Gymnasts, Videos Reveal

The insect-like creatures that leap through the air with remarkable control might inspire new jumping robots | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Carpaccio Created the Graphic Novels of the Renaissance

A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art puts the spotlight on the seldom seen contemporary of Michelangelo | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

A Long-Deserved Tribute to Native American Veterans

A ceremonial procession kicks off a weekend of events to dedicate the National Native American Veterans Memorial | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Forgotten Father of the Underground Railroad

The author of a book about William Still unearths new details about the leading Black abolitionist—and reflects on his lost legacy | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Have Women Ever Run a Native American Nation? And More Questions From Our Readers

You've got questions. We've got experts | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

NASA’s 'Smiling Sun' Image Is a Reminder of the Threat of Solar Wind

Coronal holes on the sun can release jets of charged particles that may interfere with Earth's atmosphere | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

What You Need to Know About the COP27 Climate Summit

World leaders are gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to discuss climate action | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Original 'E.T.' Mechatronic Model Could Fetch $3 Million at Auction

The metallic skeleton, created by special effects pro Carlo Rambaldi in 1981, features 85 movement points | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Archaeologists Unearth Trove of Viking Age Jewelry in Sweden

The 1,000-year-old neck rings, finger rings, pearls and coins were in near-pristine condition | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Alcohol Caused One in Eight Deaths of Working-Age U.S. Adults

CDC research shows excessive drinking is killing Americans in the "prime of their life" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This Guatemalan Village Is Becoming a Work of Art

To help boost its appeal to tourists, local residents are transforming their lakeside town into a living art installation | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why 1992 Was Such a 'Horrible Year' for Elizabeth II and the Royal Family

The fifth season of "The Crown" explores the dissolution of Charles and Diana's marriage, a catastrophic fire and other Windsor tragedies | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The Artwork That Took 30 Years and 200 Acres to Create

Renowned artist Anselm Kiefer goes big with his massive installation in southern France | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Don’t Lick This Toad, National Park Service Says

Sonoran Desert toads secrete a psychedelic toxin strong enough to kill a full-grown dog | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

This 'Crude Imitation' of Rembrandt Is Actually the Real Deal

Researchers say that the famous artist himself painted "The Raising of the Cross" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Maurice Sendak Imagined More Than Wild Things

A new exhibition, the first of its kind since the artist's death, showcases his extensive but lesser-known body of work | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Psychedelic Mushroom Chemical May Help Treat Depression

A new study found the drug temporarily relieved symptoms for some patients, but it needs to be tested in larger and longer trials, experts say | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Explore African American History and Culture Firsthand in Charleston

Opening in January, the inaugural IAAM invites visitors to discover a lesser-known but supremely significant part of the historic city’s formative past | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

These A.I.-Generated Images Hang in a Gallery—But Are They Art?

At "Artificial Imagination," a new Bay Area exhibition, artworks created by DALL-E 2 go on display | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

One-Third of Iconic World Heritage Glaciers Will Melt by 2050, Study Finds

A new report from Unesco and the International Union for Conservation of Nature provides a bleak outlook for glaciers amid global warming | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Totoro Finds New Neighbors at London's West End

The stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli's 'My Neighbor Totoro' is breaking box office records | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Scientists Find Plaster Copies of Fossil Destroyed by Nazis

Two casts of the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton ever unearthed were hidden in museum collections in Berlin and Connecticut | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

Why Marshlands Are the Perfect Lab for Studying Climate Change

At the border between land and sea, an extraordinary set of experiments is helping us prepare for an uncertain future | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago

The American Ambassador Who Tried to Prevent Pearl Harbor

A new book explores the diplomatic efforts of Joseph C. Grew, who was assigned to Tokyo between 1932 and 1942 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 2 years ago