These Tiny Snails Are Breeding in the Wild for the First Time in 40 Years in French Polynesia

During a release of captive-bred snails in September, researchers discovered wild-born individuals from the Partula tohiveana species—which had been considered extinct in the wild—marking a huge milestone in a global effort to save them | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 days ago

DNA Evidence Is Rewriting the Stories of Victims Who Perished in Pompeii Nearly 2,000 Years Ago

A new study has shattered historians' long-held assumptions about some of the people who died in Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 C.E. | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 days ago

Scientists Are Crafting Fake Whale Poop and Dumping It in the Ocean

The artificial waste could fertilize the ocean and sequester carbon | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 days ago

How to Make a Mammal in Nine Evolutionary Steps

From the formation of inner ear bones to the rise of hair to cover our bodies, these developments made us distinct from other animals | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 days ago

When a Search Party Discovered the Frozen Body of a British Explorer Who Raced to the South Pole—and Lost

On this day in 1912, a team found the remains of Robert Falcon Scott and the crew of the "Terra Nova" expedition. A would-be rescuer said he was forever haunted by the "horrible nightmare" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 10 days ago

Surfer Spots an Emperor Penguin on a Beach in Australia, Thousands of Miles From Its Antarctic Home

It's not clear how the juvenile male ended up so far north, but experts suggest he was motivated by his appetite | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

Travelers Can Now Buy a Can of '100 Percent Authentic Air' From Italy's Lake Como

It's not the first time savvy entrepreneurs have marketed canned air to tourists. Similar products have been sold at vacation destinations for decades | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

Forty-Three Monkeys Are on the Loose in South Carolina After Escaping a Research Facility When a Door Was Left Unsecured

Once the first primate made a break, the 42 others followed suit in a simple case of monkey-see, monkey-do | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

Chimpanzees Could Never Randomly Type the Complete Works of Shakespeare, Study Finds

While testing the "infinite monkey theorem," mathematicians found that the odds of a chimpanzee typing even a short phrase like "I chimp, therefore I am" before the death of the universe are 1 in 10 million billion billion | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

Archaeologists Are Bewildered by a Skeleton Made From the Bones of at Least Eight People Who Died Thousands of Years Apart

Found in a cremation cemetery in Belgium, the skeleton includes bones dating to the Neolithic period and a Roman-era skull, according to a new study | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

Rare 'Terror Bird' Fossil Found in Colombia Reveals the Enormous Size of a Prehistoric Predator

The bone, described two decades after its discovery, suggests the species might have grown up to 20 percent bigger than other terror birds | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

When Art Thieves Stole Four Andy Warhol Prints, They Didn't Realize Only Two Would Fit in the Getaway Car

The robbers only made away with two of the screen prints, which they swiped from a gallery in the Netherlands. They abandoned the other artworks on the street | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

This Parasitic Fungus Turns Flies Into Zombie Insects

The pathogen takes over the brains of its hosts and controls them for its own sinister ends | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

When White Supremacists Staged the Only Successful Coup in U.S. History

The 1898 Wilmington massacre left dozens of Black North Carolinians dead. Conspirators also forced the city's multiracial government to resign at gunpoint | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 14 days ago

To See a Spellbinding Contemporary Art Exhibition, Head to the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

The 4,500-year-old pyramids of Giza are the backdrop for "Forever Is Now," which features sculptures, installations and immersive artworks that explore the relationship between the past and present | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

After the Death of Cassius, the World's Largest Captive Crocodile, Scientists Are Trying to Solve the Mystery of His Age

The beloved reptile in Australia died last weekend and was thought to be up to 120 years old, though that age is only an estimate. Research on his bones might reveal a more exact number | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Egyptian Family Tomb Full of Necklaces, Bracelets and Rings

The 3,800-year-old site near the city of Luxor holds the remains of 11 individuals, who may have been members of the same family. Researchers think the tomb was used for several generations | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

Check Out the Stunning New Images of Jupiter From NASA's Juno Spacecraft

On its 66th flyby of the king of planets, Juno has captured spectacular views of the stormy atmosphere, processed by citizen scientists | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

Banksy's Former Manager Sells His Trove of Artworks and Other Objects Connected to the Anonymous Street Artist

Steve Lazarides' personal collection of prints, original works, handwritten press releases and burner phones sold at auction for around $1.4 million | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

Watch Vampire Bats Run on a Tiny Treadmill to Shed Light on Their Blood-Fueled Metabolism

In a rare technique among mammals, the bats burn proteins from blood, rather than carbs or fat, to power their pursuits of prey, according to a new study | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

Celebrate the Beloved yet Threatened Polar Bear With These 15 Photos

These amazing images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest show the Arctic animals at their fierce but adorable best | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

How the Berlin Wall Became a 100-Mile Bike and Pedestrian Trail

Once one of the world’s most dangerous border crossings, Berlin's symbol of death and division has been turned into a tangible way to experience history | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

See a Film That Reimagines History on the Malaysian Island That Served as a Refugee Site After the Vietnam War

The work, now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, tells the story of two characters on the island—the last people alive in the world | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

Hurricane Helene Battered the 'Salamander Capital of the World' With Floods and Landslides. Will the Beloved Amphibians Survive the Aftermath?

The storm decimated a region rich with dozens of species already struggling with habitat loss and disease | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 15 days ago

A Cloned Ferret Has Given Birth for the First Time in History, Marking a Win for Her Endangered Species

Antonia, a cloned black-footed ferret at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, has produced two healthy offspring that will help build genetic diversity in their recovering population | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

A Nazi-Looted Painting Recovered by the Monuments Men During World War II Is Going on Sale

When the war ended, Allied soldiers tracked down Nicolas de Largillierre's "Portrait de femme à mi-corps" with the help of a savvy French curator who had been working for the resistance | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

What Makes the Dark, Whimsical World of Tim Burton So Compelling?

An exhibition in London is showcasing more than 600 artworks and artifacts—including costumes, props and sketches—from the famous filmmaker’s career | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

This Stunning New Atlas Explores Humanity’s Ancient Relationship With Space and the Universe

Written by the former chief historian of NASA, the book examines the evolution of our cosmic understanding—from early civilizations to the present day | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

Meet Haggis, the Latest Baby Pygmy Hippo to Win Over the Internet

Born October 30 to parents Gloria and Otto at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, the hippo is already gaining popularity, following in the footsteps of viral sensation Moo Deng | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

The World's Earliest Writing System May Have Been Influenced by Older Symbols Found on Stone 'Cylinder Seals'

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors used symbols to track the sale of textile and agricultural products. New research suggests that these markings informed the development of writing | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

Voyager 1 Breaks Its Silence With NASA via a Radio Transmitter Not Used Since 1981

The farthest spacecraft in the universe went momentarily rogue, but scientists breathed a sigh of relief when it reconnected at an unexpected radio frequency | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

One of America's First Spectator Sports Was Professional Walking

Before fitness influencers made getting your steps in a trend, pedestrianism had the nation on their feet | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 16 days ago

A Prominent Italian Dealer Has Been Charged With Trafficking Thousands of Looted Artifacts

The Manhattan district attorney's office has obtained an arrest warrant for Edoardo Almagià, who has been accused of working with looters and dealing stolen artifacts for years | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 days ago

How Sugar Rationing During World War II Fended Off Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Later in Life

Babies who were conceived and born during the period of rationing in the United Kingdom were less likely to develop certain diseases as adults, a new study finds | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 days ago

See How René Magritte’s Dreamlike Paintings Evolved Over Four Decades at a New Exhibition in Australia

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is showcasing works full of the Surrealist artist's signature motifs—such as apples, pipes and bowler hats—in addition to lesser-known pieces | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 days ago

A Rare Triassic Fossil Found in Brazil Could Shed Light on the Origin of Dinosaurs

The 237-million-year-old remains are among the oldest silesaurid fossils ever found, adding to paleontologists' understanding of this still-mysterious group of prehistoric reptiles | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 days ago

Archaeologists Discover Engraved Gold Offering to Jupiter Dolichenu, a War God Revered by Roman Soldiers

The votive plaque was found amid the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. Researchers think a temple dedicated to the mysterious deity may have stood nearby | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 days ago

The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made About Neptune

Despite the lack of a dedicated mission to the planet, scientists have learned plenty through ground observations and space telescopes | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 17 days ago

Coal Recovered From the Titanic and Thousands of Other Historic Shipwreck Artifacts Are Going to Auction

The Shipwreck Treasure Museum in Cornwall, England, is selling its collection, which includes items connected to nearly 150 shipwrecks | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

Quincy Jones Was a ‘Musician’s Musician’ Who Was Uniquely Beloved in the Cutthroat Music Industry

A Smithsonian curator reflects back on the artistic legend, a "Renaissance man" with 28 Grammys to his name, who died Sunday at 91 years old | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

See the Breathtaking 14th-Century Sienese Artworks That Helped Set the Italian Renaissance in Motion

This brief chapter of art history is often overlooked. Now, an exhibition in New York City makes a strong argument for the integral role played by four artists in the city of Siena | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

At the Age of 50, an Elderly Female Elephant Dies at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

The pachyderm, named Kamala, was suffering from osteoarthritis when zoo staff chose to euthanize her | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

Invasive Mussels Recently Spotted in California Mark a First for North America

The species may have been carried to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta in ballast water on ships | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

After Months of Rehab, Moira the Cold-Stunned Sea Turtle Has Been Returned to the Wild

When fishermen found the endangered loggerhead sea turtle off Vancouver Island in February, she was listlessly floating in a bed of kelp | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

Tour Guide at Medieval Manor House Discovers Mysterious Etchings Meant to Repel Evil, Trap Demons and Curse Enemies

A "staggering array" of markings have been hiding in plain sight carved into the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a 500-year-old home in Lincolnshire, England | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

See What Happened When One Museum Asked Artists to Define ‘Home’

The Smithsonian Design Triennial presents 25 commissions that explore the physical and conceptual ideas of shelter and refuge | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

These Black Americans Were Killed for Exercising Their Political Right to Vote

In the Jim Crow South, activists became martyrs at the hands of white racists, all for the just cause of using the vote to fight for equality and freedom | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 18 days ago

See Picasso's Lesser-Known Print Works, Which He Continued Experimenting With Into His 80s

A new exhibition spotlights the Spanish artist's printmaking talents, which he began honing in his 20s. In the decades that followed, he produced thousands of breathtaking creations | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 21 days ago