The volcanic arc extending from Mexico to Costa Rica expels a variety of magma types that make for a geological paradise | Continue reading
The groundbreaking, exiled Chinese artist builds a hopeful new life—and a new studio, in the Portuguese countryside | Continue reading
Titles that appeared on multiple lists include "Lessons in Chemistry," "Spare" and "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" | Continue reading
The 7.5 magnitude quake in Japan highlights the need for earthquake prediction, a science shedding its "unserious" reputation and inching toward reality | Continue reading
England's 180-foot-tall Cerne Abbas Giant may have served as a landmark for gathering troops | Continue reading
A Hubble image highlights the seasonal features, which scientists think could be caused by interactions between the planet's magnetic field and solar wind | Continue reading
With origins dating back to the 16th century, paddle sports have always had an unmistakable allure | Continue reading
Skywatchers can expect spectacular meteor showers, a comet soaring past Earth and a long-anticipated total solar eclipse | Continue reading
As populations plummet across Africa, researchers have designed an ingenious method to study the graceful creatures | Continue reading
Amid the vast Mojave Desert sits an oasis, one brimming with rare flora and fauna that exists nowhere else on earth | Continue reading
From the Quadrantids to a "swarm of stars," here are the celestial spectacles you won’t want to miss this month | Continue reading
This spectacular South Carolina outpost is home to a rich history and a surprisingly soulful arts and cultural scene just waiting to be discovered. | Continue reading
These highlights from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest feature winter wonderlands | Continue reading
Major discoveries, an undersea tragedy and international cooperation were some of the biggest saltwater moments of the year | Continue reading
Almost a century after the cartoon mouse made his first appearance, he finally belongs to everyone—sort of | Continue reading
Smithsonian paleoanthropologists reveal some of the year’s most fascinating findings about human origins | Continue reading
A descendant of concentration camp survivors argues that using the right vocabulary can help clarify the stakes when confronting wartime trauma | Continue reading
The custom of burying people in their ships was believed to help provide safe passage to the afterlife | Continue reading
After a year-long cheddar-making experiment, scientists have unraveled the microbial underpinnings of the cheese's buttery flavor | Continue reading
Covering war, hosting presidential debates and conducting uncomfortable interviews, these women speak truths to their community | Continue reading
From the world's oldest dog to the real history behind "Oppenheimer," these were the magazine's most-read articles of the year | Continue reading
The findings, which may extend to all humans, suggest emotional tears might serve an evolutionary purpose | Continue reading
Biologists learned lots about animals and plants this year, and their findings could inspire better robots, medicine and environmental technologies | Continue reading
Submitted by a 24-year-old Minnesotan, the updated flag is expected to fly on May 11 | Continue reading
Researchers are slowly restoring the endangered kākāpō using DNA sequencing, GPS tracking and tailored diets | Continue reading
The year's most exciting discoveries included a stolen Vincent van Gogh painting, a hidden medieval crypt and a gold-covered mummy | Continue reading
Understanding the ice sheet's past could help researchers shed light on its future melting | Continue reading
The donation of Baroque and Renaissance works includes Vincent van Gogh's first painting of the outdoors | Continue reading
Officials recently shut down the area around the increasingly delicate structure | Continue reading
In a first, the agency beamed the playful clip to Earth from a distance 80 times farther than the moon | Continue reading
Gardeners discuss the oft-overlooked symbolism of nature that underlies the Pulitzer-prize winning novel | Continue reading
While the animals chew their cud, they also enter a state of rest | Continue reading
Found in the Tian Shan mountains, Malus sieversii could hold the secret to making other species of the fruit more stress-resistant | Continue reading
Artist Gilbert Stuart painted the work after the president sat for him in late 1795 | Continue reading
The United Nations climate change conference drew praise for new pledges and criticism for watered-down language | Continue reading
Powered by compressed air, the system transported millions of letters between 1897 and 1953 | Continue reading
Celebrate the holiday season with festive shots from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest | Continue reading
Humans may have bred their canine companions to have darker eyes, because we perceive them as younger and more friendly, study finds | Continue reading
The new, holiday-inspired image features UGC 8091, an "irregular" dwarf galaxy in the constellation Virgo | Continue reading
The artwork—made from shells, tiles and other materials—demonstrated the wealth and power of its owner | Continue reading
While rosy-hued waters exist naturally around the world, a pond in Hawaii recently turned pink, and Australian scientists say the same could happen there | Continue reading
A controversial study arguing an Indonesian structure is 25,000 years old is under investigation by the journal that published it | Continue reading
Researchers analyzed a tiny paint sample from the piece and found a lead-rich layer on the canvas | Continue reading
Smithsonian editors choose their favorite (mostly) nonfiction of (mostly) 2023 | Continue reading
Statistical modeling of undiscovered extinctions suggests 1,430 bird species have disappeared during modern human history | Continue reading
The rail system, built to connect tourist destinations, has been criticized for endangering archaeological and environmental sites | Continue reading
The gleaming ice giant could soon become a top priority for exploration | Continue reading
The beloved medley of rice and meat is the national dish of Uzbekistan | Continue reading