DNA from Ancient Latrines Reveal What People Ate Centuries Ago

By digging in ancient toilets, researchers uncovered genetic material that tells of past diets and diseases | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

Don the Talking Dog

Although he 'spoke' German, the vaudevillian canine captured the heart of the nation | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

The DNA Data We Have Is Too White. Scientists Want to Fix That

In an era of personalized medicine, not including minorities in genetic studies has real-world health impacts | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

The Fuzzy History of the Georgia Peach (2017)

Once a feral resource for planters, the stone fruit got a marketing makeover in the late 19th century—and a boost from the segregated labor market | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

Just Like Faces, Buildings Have Features That Algorithms Can Recognize

An art historian explains how he uses 'facial recognition' to unlock architectural secrets | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

The Great Chinese Dinosaur Boom

A gold rush of fossil-finding is turning China into the new epicenter of paleontology | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

Ask Smithsonian: What’s the Deepest Hole Ever Dug? (2015)

The answer to the question, says a Smithsonian researcher, is more about why we dig, than how low you can go | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

Statue found in late 1890s likely dates back 11000 years

New research posits it is one of the oldest-known examples of monumental art | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

How Poetry and Math Intersect

Both require economy and precision—and each perspective can enhance the other | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

Ten Myths About the 1918 Flu Pandemic

The ‘greatest pandemic in history’ was 100 years ago – but many of us still get the basic facts wrong | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

The Best Places to See Reindeer Around the World

From Norway to Alaska, here's where to see members of Santa's herd in person | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 6 years ago

The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

A 1963 protest placard in the Smithsonian collections could almost be mistaken for any of the Black Lives Matter marches of today | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 7 years ago

Hike in the Footsteps of Teddy Roosevelt

Energetic Teddy was a hiking fanatic—follow his trail on these trips | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 7 years ago

Google Doodle Honors Little-Known Math Genius Who Helped America Reach the Stars

It’s time for Mary Golda Ross to be remembered as an aerospace pioneer | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 7 years ago

The History of 'Stolen' Supreme Court Seats

As the Trump administration seeks to fill a vacancy on the Court, a look back at the forgotten mid-19th century battles over the judiciary | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 7 years ago

Seven Places Reinventing the Christmas Tree

From rocket gardens to tumbleweeds, here are some of the most imaginative holiday trees in the United States | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 7 years ago

Four Times the Results of a Presidential Election Were Contested

"Rigged" may not be the way to describe them, but there were definitely some shenanigans happening | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 years ago

Olympic Decathlon Medalist Rafer Johnson Dies at 86

He was the first African American athlete to light the cauldron that burns during the Games | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 years ago

Why Women Bring Their 'I Voted' Stickers to Susan B. Anthony's Grave

This year, visitors will find a clear plastic covering protecting the fragile marble headstone | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 years ago

This Is What You're Paying for When You Buy a Bentley

Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 years ago

The History of D.C.'s Epic and Unfinished Struggle for Statehood and Self-Governance

Control of the federal city was long dictated by Congress until residents took a stand beginning in the 1960s | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 8 years ago

The Epic Failure of Thomas Edison's Talking Doll

Expensive, heavy, non-functioning and a little scary looking, the doll created by America's hero-inventor was a commercial flop | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 9 years ago

Eddie Van Halen on How Necessity Drives Innovation

The rock star, who died on October 6 at age 65, said that perfection is boring and mistakes are the "most exciting element of music" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 9 years ago

I Was Among the Lucky Few to Walk in Space

On July 31, 1971, Al Worden performed the first deep-space extra-vehicular activity. "No one in all of history" saw what he saw that day | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 9 years ago

From Opossums to Bologna: Weird Things Cities Drop on New Year's Eve

Who needs a ball? Cities get creative on New Year's Eve by dropping objects that reflect local products and culture | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 9 years ago

The Best Places Around the World to See Bats (by the Millions)

Bat tourism might sound creepy, but it may be the best way to help bat conservation around the world | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 years ago

Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit Was Made by a Bra Manufacturer

This wearable spacecraft let humans take one giant leap away from Earth | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 years ago

Alex Trebek on Why 'Jeopardy' Represents the American Dream

The game show host, who died yesterday at age 80, donated items to the Smithsonian in 2013 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 years ago

A Gentile’s Guide to Keeping Kosher for Passover

Pizza and pasta are pretty obviously out, but what are the other no-nos? | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 11 years ago

When Republicans Were Blue and Democrats Were Red

The era of color-coded political parties is more recent than you might think | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 years ago

The Top 10 Political Conventions That Mattered the Most

As the two parties shift their conventions to be mostly virtual, we look at those conventions that made a difference in the country’s political history | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 years ago

Roberto Clemente: The King of Béisbol

The sports superstar and humanitarian transcended baseball's borders | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 years ago

Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day

Two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, American slavery came to an end and a celebration of freedom was born | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 13 years ago

How Milton Glaser Came to Design the Iconic Poster of Bob Dylan

Milton Glaser's 1966 poster of a folk-rock icon captured the psychadelic dazzle of the flower-power era | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 years ago

The Story Behind the Harlem Cultural Festival Featured in 'Summer of Soul'

Jesse Jackson, Nina Simone, B.B. King and 100,000 spectators gathered for a concert worth remembering | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 years ago

This Artwork Recognizes the Sacrifices Made by Native American Soldiers in Vietnam

Taking 'Best in Show' at the Northern Plains Tribal Art Show, the 2002 beadwork tableau is held in the collections of the American Indian Museum | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 years ago

What Made Ed Bearss a Rock Star of Civil War History

On any battlefield, he struck the mystic chords of memory | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 19 years ago

A Sculptor's Provocative Memorial Acknowledges the High Cost of Conflict

Paul Thek's haunting sculpture looks beyond the pomp of traditional battle memorials | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 19 years ago

The Cardiganed Fred Rogers Was Every Kid's Cozy Comfort Zone

A red sweater in the Smithsonian collections was the trademark of kindness and caring in the indelible 'Mr. Rogers Neighborhood' | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 21 years ago

In Ponzi We Trust

Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul is a scheme made famous by Charles Ponzi. Who was this crook whose name graces this scam? | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 25 years ago