4,000-Year-Old Clay Tablets Show Ancient Sumerians' Obsession With Government Bureaucracy

The artifacts were excavated from a city dating back to the third millennium B.C.E. by researchers from Iraq and the British Museum | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

Iguanas Floated a Whopping 5,000 Miles From North America to Fiji on Rafts of Plants in a Record-Setting Trip, Study Suggests

Since most iguana species live in the Americas, biologists have long debated how they could have arrived on the remote Pacific island in the first place | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

A Century Ago, Pioneering Astrophysicist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Showed Us What Stars Are Made Of

The trailblazing Harvard scientist, who documented the dominance of hydrogen and helium in stars, is still inspiring researchers today | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

Why Did Vincent van Gogh Paint 26 Portraits of a Postman and His Family While Staying in the South of France?

The artist met Joseph Roulin, a 47-year-old postal worker, in the late 1880s. The series of artworks will be reunited at upcoming exhibitions in Boston and Amsterdam | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

See These Newly Restored Massive Paintings Devoted to a Hindu God

The artworks, part of a new exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, help shed light on a traditional religious practice | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

Australian Man Makes History by Living With a Titanium Heart for More Than 100 Days Before Receiving a Transplant

The man, who was in his 40s and suffering from severe heart failure, was also the first person to leave the hospital with a titanium heart. He is recovering well after getting a new, donor heart | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

Historic Frank Lloyd Wright Home Added to List of Endangered Architecture in Chicago

The J.J. Walser Jr. House, one of five Wright-designed homes in the city, has fallen into disrepair, prompting calls for preservation | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

After Nine Months in Space, the Starliner Astronauts Are Finally Coming Home. Here's How to Watch Live

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are making a 17-hour journey from the International Space Station and will splash down near Florida this evening | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

Archaeologists Discover Mosaics of Two Fighting Cupids and a Mysterious Inscription at an Ancient Greek City Hall

New research is shedding light on the bouleuterion building that once stood in the ancient city of Teos, located in present-day Turkey | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

See Last Week's Stunning Eclipse From the Moon in Photos Captured by the Blue Ghost Lander, Now at the End of Its Mission

The spacecraft carried out the longest commercial operation on the moon to date—and also made history during its rare chance to document this celestial event | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

Two Trailblazing Spacewalks in 1965 Opened the Door to Decades of Astronauts Pushing the Limits of Their Capabilities

Since those early steps, extravehicular activity has helped provide the solutions to many problems that astronauts face in space | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 22 days ago

The Art Institute of Chicago Is Returning a 12th-Century Buddha Sculpture to Nepal

Museum officials say they are voluntarily repatriating the object after learning that it had been stolen from Guita Bahi in the Kathmandu Valley | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 23 days ago

Sea Levels Rose More Than Expected in 2024, According to a NASA Analysis

Ocean warming and thus thermal expansion played a major role in last year's increase | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 23 days ago

Studying This Slow-Moving Alaskan Landslide May Help Avert Future Disaster

If the landslide at the Barry Arm fjord collapses, its falling ice and rock could generate a devastating 650-foot-high tsunami | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 23 days ago

Cougar Cubs Spotted in Michigan for the First Time in More Than a Century

Two kittens, believed to be between 7 and 9 weeks old, were photographed by a motorist in the western Upper Peninsula | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 23 days ago

These Were the Most—and Least—Visited National Parks in 2024

America's national park sites saw a record number of visitors last year. Great Smoky Mountains, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks are perennial favorites among travelers | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 23 days ago

Could This Prehistoric Burial Site Have Influenced the Construction of Stonehenge?

Researchers say that Flagstones, a large circular enclosure in southern England, dates to around 3200 B.C.E.—which means it predates Stonehenge by several hundred years | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 23 days ago

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals That Most Galaxies Rotate Clockwise

This preferred direction of spin might be due to one of two reasons: either our entire universe exists in a black hole, or astronomers have been measuring the universe's expansion incorrectly | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

Restoration Reveals the Secrets of One of Winston Churchill's Most Beloved Paintings

Long thought to be a family heirloom, the artwork was actually gifted to the British prime minister in 1942 during the darkest days of World War II | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

Avian Flu Is Rapidly Spreading Across Antarctica

A new expedition offers insights on the deadly virus’ impact in the region | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

This Intrepid Team of Bee Lovers Are Doing Everything They Can to Save Rare Native Species From Extinction

Iridescent sweat bees, hairy-faced mining bees, tiny Perdita minima the size of a gnat. Thanks to swarms of apiary enthusiasts, native species are finally getting the buzz they deserve | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

How the Irish Pub Became One of the Emerald Isle's Greatest Exports

The Dublin-based Irish Pub Company has designed upwards of 2,000 pubs in more than 100 countries around the globe | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

A Hunter Was Out Looking for Deer in West Texas. He Found a Rare Mammoth Tusk Instead

Discovered in the drainage area of a creek bed, the tusk was initially thought to be "just an old stump" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

A City Fit for a Queen: Tracing Queen Charlotte’s Passions Through Charlotte, North Carolina

Uncover the enduring impact of Queen Charlotte's legacy on the city's historic heritage. | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 24 days ago

Archaeologists Unearth 1,600-Year-Old Jewish Ritual Bath—the Oldest Ever Found in Europe

Located in Ostia Antica, the mikvah dates to the late fourth or early fifth century C.E. Researchers say it's the earliest discovery of its kind outside the Middle East | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 26 days ago

Check Out These Rare Images of Deimos, One of Mars' Mysterious Moons

The spacecraft Hera's photographs are some of the few visuals ever captured of the Martian moon's dark side | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 26 days ago

Researchers Unearth Oldest Known Human Facial Bones Ever Found in Western Europe

The upper jawbone and partial cheek bone represent a mysterious unknown species that lived in present-day Spain between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years ago, according to a new study | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 26 days ago

How the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra Performs Music Using Carrots, Turnips, Radishes and Pumpkins

The band has now secured a world record for playing more than 340 concerts on instruments made from produce. After each concert, the band members serve soup to the audience | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 26 days ago

From a Guitar Shark to an Octocoral, Scientists Discover More Than 800 Marine Species

The Ocean Census hopes to discover thousands of new creatures before they go extinct | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Over the Last 200 Years, a Small Library Became One of New York City’s Biggest Museums. A New Showcase Tells the Story of Its Unique Legacy

To mark its bicentennial, the Brooklyn Museum highlights the pieces that have shaped its collection—and the foundational art made in the borough | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Historic Century-Old Shipwreck Discovered 600 Feet Beneath the Surface of Lake Superior

The 300-foot "Western Reserve" sank in August 1892, killing 27 people after both lifeboats capsized. Harry W. Stewart, the ship's wheelsman, was the only survivor | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

These Everyday Artifacts Tell the Story of Harriet Tubman's Father's Home as Climate Change Threatens the Historic Site

The Maryland Department of Transportation launched an interactive virtual museum, showcasing finds from where Ben Ross lived after emancipation | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Huh? Interjections Are Critically Important to Communication

Utterances like "um," "wow" and "mm-hmm" aren't garbage—they keep conversations flowing | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

These Everyday Artifacts Tell the Story of Harriet Tubmans' Father's Home As Climate Change Threatens the Historic Site

The Maryland Department of Transportation launched an interactive virtual museum, showcasing finds from where Ben Ross lived after emancipation | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Discover These 15 Enchanting Libraries Sure to Thrill Any Book Lover

Wall-to-wall books tell an interior design story without saying a word | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Why NASA and SpaceX's Mission to Relieve Starliner Astronauts Is Delayed Again

After an unexpected nine months in orbit, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are waiting for the arrival of Crew-10 before they head home. That launch is now expected for Friday | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

A Stunning Collection of Rarely Seen Ancient Roman Sculptures Is Coming to North America for the First Time

The marbles in the Torlonia Collection have been inaccessible to the public for decades. Now, some of them will be exhibited in Chicago, Fort Worth and Montreal | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Students Walked Past This Rock for 20 Years. It Turned Out to Host 66 Dinosaur Footprints From the Jurassic Period

A paleontologist studied the 200-million-year-old prints that had been hiding in plain sight, then discovered even more tracks in another rock sitting in a nearby parking lot | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 27 days ago

Microplastics Are Making Photosynthesis Harder for Plants—and That Could Slash Crop Yields, Study Suggests

On average, these little particles could reduce photosynthesis in plants and algae by up to 12 percent, according to the paper | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Man Discovers Message in a Bottle Hidden Above a Historic Scottish Theater's Stage, Untouched for Nearly 120 Years

A theater patron found the glass bottle behind a decorative crown positioned 40 feet above the stage. The note was dated 1906, the year the King's Theater opened in Edinburgh | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Scientists Uncover a Frozen History in 6,000 Years' Worth of Penguin Poop, Revealing Past Ecology on Antarctica

Sediment samples from the Ross Sea coastline are revealing insights into how animals like elephant seals and Adélie penguins adapted to environmental changes long ago | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Former and Active DMZs Allow Visitors to Learn the Haunting History of These Landscapes

Demilitarized zones—from Vietnam to Korea, Cyprus and Antarctica—require tourists to look beyond what exists and to find the real stories in what doesn’t | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

These Tracks Reveal Evidence of 22,000-Year-Old Wheelbarrows—But Without the Wheels

The drag marks and footprints were discovered in present-day New Mexico. Researchers say they're some of the earliest known examples of transport vehicles | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Armed With Just a Badge, Los Angeles' First Policewoman Protected the City's Most Vulnerable in the Early 20th Century

Appointed in 1910, Alice Stebbins Wells patrolled dance halls, skating rinks, penny arcades and movie theaters, keeping these public spaces free of vice and immorality | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Astronomers Discover 128 New Moons Orbiting Saturn, Cementing the Planet's Title of 'Moon King'

The sheer number of objects suggests scientists will soon have to grapple with what counts as a moon versus what’s just a large rock | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

NASA's New Space Telescope Launches to Explore the Origins of the Universe After a Series of Delays

Called SPHEREx, the instrument will map 450 million galaxies and search for water molecules that may be clinging to space dust | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Archaeologists Unearth 1,300-Year-Old Flush Toilets at a Palace Complex in South Korea

One of the toilets, likely used by the crown prince and his court ladies, may have drained directly into a nearby river | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago

Climate Change Might Increase Satellite Collisions, Limiting How Many Can Safely Orbit Earth, Study Finds

Greenhouse gas emissions could reduce drag in the upper atmosphere, leaving more space debris in orbit and making satellites more vulnerable to damage, according to new research | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 28 days ago