How Lee Miller, a Magazine Model and Muse, Became a Daring World War II Photographer

The bold journalist, who made a splash on both sides of the lens, is the subject of a new biopic starring Kate Winslet | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 months ago

The Man Who’s Saving America’s Forgotten Grapes

Bordeaux. Napa Valley. Missouri? This vintner wants to put this once-booming wine region back on the map | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 months ago

The 19th-Century Novel That Inspired a Communist Utopia on the American Frontier

The Icarians thought they could build a paradise, but their project was marked by failure almost from the start | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 months ago

The Uniquely American History of Eggnog, Everyone's Favorite—or Least Favorite—Holiday Quaff

This Yuletide mainstay continues to warm cockles and ventricles everywhere | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 12 months ago

'Zen Mona Lisa' Travels to the United States for the Very First Time

Titled "Six Persimmons," the famous 13th-century work hasn't left Japan for hundreds of years | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

An Invasive Tick That Can Clone Itself Is Spreading Across the U.S., Threatening Livestock

Researchers documented three cows in Ohio killed by Asian longhorned ticks, which can lay up to 2,000 eggs without needing to mate | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Fossil Hunter Pulls Massive Mammoth Jawbone Out of Florida River

John Kreatsoulas, who made the discovery while diving in southwest Florida, initially thought the 60-pound mandible was a log | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

117-Year-Old Shipwreck Found in Puget Sound

The S.S. Dix went down while ferrying passengers between Seattle and Bainbridge Island | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

These Brainy Falcons Are Smarter Than You Might Think

Striated caracaras solved up to eight puzzle box problems in a new study, suggesting they are cognitively complex, like crows and parrots | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Listen to the Center of the Milky Way Translated Into Sound

A new musical composition represents data from three NASA telescopes as a piece that was performed by an orchestral ensemble | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Surprise Reappearance of a Rare Frog Has Scientists Leaping to Protect Its Habitat

The marsupial frog, which incubates its young in a pouch on its back, was thought to be extinct in some countries | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

See the Top Contenders for the New Minnesota State Flag

Picked from more than 2,600 submissions, the finalists pay homage to the state's motto and nickname | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Why Can't Machines Process CO2 Like Trees? And More Questions From Our Readers

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


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Teddy Bear Was Once Seen as a Dangerous Influence on Young Children

Inspired by a moment of empathy from President Theodore Roosevelt, the huggable toy had a rocky start before it became the stuff of legend | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Ten Engineer-Selected STEM Toys to Give as Gifts in 2023

From coding to building to circuitry, these educational activities support basic skills to serve children in science, engineering and beyond | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Pablo Escobar's Multiplying 'Cocaine Hippos' Will Be Sterilized in Colombia

The country’s hippo population has grown to about 170, and officials warn it could reach 1,000 individuals by 2035 if left uncontrolled | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Oil Spill Dumps as Much as 1.1 Million Gallons Into Gulf of Mexico, Raising Concerns About Wildlife

The U.S. Coast Guard is still searching for the specific source of the leak, which occurred last week | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Civil War Weapons Recovered From South Carolina's Congaree River

Union troops tossed Confederate munitions and supplies into the waterway after taking Columbia in February 1865 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

This High-Tech Shirt Helps Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Patrons Feel Music

Guests at Chicago's Lyric Opera can now immerse themselves in performances through the SoundShirt’s vibrations | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Hoyma Is Bringing Music Home in the Faroe Islands

For one fall night, it is tradition for a handful of houses in Sydrugota, on the island of Eysturoy, to open their doors and host intimate concerts | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Real History Behind Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre's Marriage in 'Maestro'

The Bradley Cooper-led film is a dramatization of the storied composer and conductor's complex love life | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Rare Bottle of Scotch Whisky Sells for Record-Breaking $2.7 Million

Made in 1926, the whisky aged in sherry casks for 60 years before being bottled in 1986 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

This Bat Uses Its Extra Long Penis Like an Arm While Mating

Serotine bats are the first mammals known to mate without penetration, new research suggests | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2023

Travel to Rome, Alaska, West Africa and beyond with this year’s best cookbooks, memoirs and historic deep dives | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

One Reason Migrating Birds Get Lost Is Out of This World

Solar energy can alter the Earth’s magnetic field and likely lead the animals astray | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Give Thanks for These 15 Photos Celebrating Thanksgiving

Gather together and commemorate the holiday of gratitude | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Earth Headed for Nearly Three-Degree Temperature Hike—Well Above Paris Agreement Level

A new U.N. report finds current pledges put the planet on track to warm 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Why Egyptomania Is Taking Over Australia

A series of exhibitions in the country spotlight the enduring appeal of ancient Egypt for modern audiences | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

John Lennon's 'Psychedelic Eye' Swimming Pool Mosaic Goes to Auction

The famous musician commissioned the trippy mural for his home in Kenwood at the height of Beatlemania | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Scientists Created a Monkey With Two Different Sets of DNA

So-called "chimeric" monkeys could help scientists understand human diseases and aid in conservation efforts, but the research raises ethical questions | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Does Vanilla Flavoring Actually Come From Beaver Butts?

Despite internet claims, castoreum—a substance found in beaver glands—is rarely used today as a food flavoring | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

An Inside Look at the Effort to Curb Deadly Snakebites in India

With around 58,000 human deaths from snakebites each year in the country, a lot more must be done to save lives | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

An Inside Look at the Effort to Curb Deadly Snakebites in India

With around 58,000 human deaths from snakebites each year in the country, a lot more must be done to save lives | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Why Was a Human Skull on Sale at a Florida Thrift Shop?

Experts are now analyzing the specimen, which could belong to a Native American woman | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Hundreds of Dogs Across the U.S. Are Falling Ill With Unknown Respiratory Illness

Researchers are not sure whether a virus or bacteria is causing the pets' ailments | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Real History Behind Empress Joséphine in Ridley Scott's 'Napoleon'

A new Hollywood epic traces Napoleon Bonaparte's rise and fall through his checkered relationship with his first wife | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

From Ancient Ruins to Historic Military Forts, Connect with Arizona’s Vibrant History and Living Cultures On Foot

Step outside to uncover the state’s multifaceted past and unrivaled natural beauty | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Could Wooden Satellites Reduce Space Junk? The First Is Set to Launch Next Year

NASA and Japan plan to test a biodegradable satellite made of wood, which burns up more easily than metal on reentry | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

YouTube's New A.I. Music Generation Tool Mimics the Voices of Popular Singers

So far, nine artists—including John Legend, T-Pain, Demi Lovato and Charli XCX—have volunteered their voices | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Watch Dolphins Outsmart Crab Traps in First-Ever Footage

Bottlenose dolphins in Australia have been snatching fish used to bait crabs—and adapting to fishers' attempts to thwart them | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

These New River Cruises Celebrate Black History and Culture Around the World

On the heels of its first sold-out Black heritage cruise in August, AmaWaterways is unveiling new trips in France, Portugal, Egypt and beyond | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

How Money Transformed Medieval Europe

A new exhibition explores the questions raised by economic revolution—and how familiar those questions remain today | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Ten Best History Books of 2023

Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and illuminate how the United States ended up where it is today | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

From the Governor's Mansion to the White House and Beyond, Rosalynn Carter Was a Tireless Advocate for the Vulnerable

Smithsonian experts reflect on the life and legacy of the former first lady, who died Sunday at age 96 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

What to Know Ahead of SpaceX's Second Starship Test Flight on Saturday

Atop the most powerful rocket ever built, the spacecraft is intended to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon's surface and Mars in the future | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Why Restoring a Banksy Mural in Venice Is So Controversial

Critics argue that the street artist may have intended for the work to deteriorate over time | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Like Humans, Some Bonobos Cooperate With Outsiders

We might not be the only primates to display helpful behavior toward members of a different social group, a new study suggests | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Thieves With Hammer Stole $100,000 Chagall Print From Manhattan Gallery

The whereabouts of the work—and the individuals who conducted the "brazen" heist—remain a mystery | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago