How Vacationers on Antarctic Cruises Are Filling in Scientific Gaps

From ships and submarines, citizen scientists can access remote areas ripe for new discoveries. But does the research make up for the climate impact? | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Archaeologists Find Evidence of Earliest Known Horseback Riders

New research indicates that humans were riding horses as early as 5,000 years ago | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Some Whales Use a Creaky 'Vocal Fry' Voice to Find Food

Like humans, toothed whales have three vocal registers: chest, falsetto and vocal fry | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

For 100 Years, the Alaska Railroad Has Been a Critical Artery Pumping Passengers and Freight Through the State

Along with celebrations, the centennial offers a chance to consider the effects the rail system has had on the state and its people | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Japanese American Artists Recall the Trauma of Wartime Incarceration

Smithsonian podcasts explore the legacy of Executive Order 9066 and the camera that almost didn’t make it to the Juno spacecraft launch | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Most Enigmatic Works in Art History

A new book highlights 100 artistic curiosities, from the nude "Mona Lisa" to portraits of a dog-headed saint | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

How Edith Wilson Kept Herself—and Her Husband—in the White House

A new book about the first lady reveals how she and the ailing President Woodrow Wilson silenced their critics | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Judy Heumann, Mother of the Disability Rights Movement, Dies at 75

After becoming New York City's first teacher in a wheelchair, Heumann spent decades advocating for Americans with disabilities | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Kids Discover That EpiPens May Not Work in Space

After returning from space, the life-saving drug epinephrine had partially changed into poisonous benzoic acid | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Researchers Examine 3,500-Year-Old Brown Bear Preserved in Siberian Permafrost

Found in 2020, the animal was originally declared to be a cave bear from the Ice Age | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Dutch Artists Compete to Paint Like Vermeer in New Reality Show

The contestants are tasked with recreating six of the old master's lost works | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Dictionary.com Adds More Than 300 New Words

Additions like “digital nomad,” “anti-fat” and “liminal space” reflect the dynamic nature of the English language | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Unusual European Journey of Thor the Walrus

It's rare to see one of these massive marine mammals in Western Europe, but Thor spent several months delighting crowds in multiple countries | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Scientists Discover Oldest Known Fossils of Pollen-Carrying Insects

It’s unclear whether the creatures were pollinating prehistoric plants or just getting a snack | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Brief but Shining Life of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Poet Who Gave Dignity to the Black Experience

A prolific writer, he inspired such luminaries as Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Hidden Chamber Revealed Inside Great Pyramid of Giza

Researchers used cosmic-ray imaging to uncover the 30-foot-long corridor | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Four Astronauts Arrive at the International Space Station

Despite a launch delay and docking issue, the space travelers are now onboard the orbiting laboratory | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Lincoln Memorial Is Getting a New Underground Museum

Crews are starting work on the $69 million project this month and hope to finish by 2026 | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Rare Jurassic-Era Insect Discovered at Arkansas Walmart

The species had not been recorded in eastern North America for more than 50 years—and never documented in the state | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

129-Year-Old Vessel Still Tethered to Lifeboat Found on Floor of Lake Huron

The 'Ironton' has been perfectly preserved since the day it sank in 'Shipwreck Alley' | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Behind the Scenes of the New Reality Series, ‘The Exhibit’

Seven artists compete for a $100,000 purse and an exhibition at the Hirshhorn in this ground-breaking show airing on the Smithsonian Channel | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

NASA's Moon Dust Problem Might Finally Have a Solution

Researchers sprayed liquid nitrogen at spacesuit-clad Barbie dolls to test their novel idea | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

In Namibia, Lions Are King of the Beach

As the big cats return to hunting fur seals on the Skeleton Coast, a new project tries to keep people out of the way | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Mina Miller Edison Was Much More Than the Wife of the 'Wizard of Menlo Park'

The second wife of Thomas Edison, she viewed domestic labor as a science, calling herself a "home executive" | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

These Mythical Sea Monsters May Have Been Whales With Unusual Dining Habits

Tales of creatures like the Norse “hafgufa” suggest ancient and medieval people may have seen whales trap feeding | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

New Sleeper Train Will Connect Amsterdam and Barcelona

The proposed route is part of a broader push to increase cross-border rail travel in Europe | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Ancient Comb Made From Human Skull Unearthed in England

The Iron Age artifact may have been used as an amulet rather than a hairstyling tool | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Artificial Sweetener Tied to Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds

Erythritol was not proven to cause these health problems, but some experts recommend limiting intake | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Archaeologists Discover Wooden Spikes Described by Julius Caesar

Until recently, no traces of the military technology had ever been found | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Florida’s Love-Hate Relationship With Phosphorus

The state has mined and abused the Devil's Element for decades, and now it is increasingly fouling precious coastal waters | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

These Young Shrimp Can Snap Their Claws as Fast as a Speeding Bullet

Juvenile snapping shrimp can achieve the fastest acceleration of any repeatable, underwater motion by a living thing, per a new study | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Wonderful World of Birds

As the Smithsonian's National Zoo prepares to open its reimagined and beloved Bird House, explore the fascinating science of our feathery friends above | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

For the Enslaved Potter David Drake, His Literary Practice Was His Resistance

This 19th-century vessel, made to store meat, carries a powerful backstory of Drake's defiance of the laws of enslavement | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Ukraine Releases Banksy Postage Stamp on War's One-Year Anniversary

The street artist painted the image on a demolished wall during his secret trip to the country last fall | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

These Tiny Bugs Urinate by Flinging Droplets of Pee

Sharpshooters are the first example of “superpropulsion” in a living organism, according to new research | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Did Salvador Dalí Paint This Enigmatic Artwork?

After two curators began doubting the painting's authenticity, they made an unexpected discovery about its origins | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Scientists Find Evidence of Another Core Within Earth's Center

The newly proposed layer might have a different structure from the rest of the inner core | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Sail Aboard a Floating Masterpiece to Discover a New Side of America’s History

For those yearning for something deeper, a voyage down America’s waterways on an authentic paddlewheel riverboat offers a rich discovery of the continent | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

From Dazzling Art to Striking Vistas, Experience Something Different in Santa Fe

Get to know one of America’s most historic, artistic, and fascinating cities | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Outdoor Adventures of a Lifetime in Australia's Northern Territory

From dramatic landscapes to diverse wildlife and ancient heritage, the region’s great outdoors is truly different in every sense | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

8 Ways to Encounter Authentic Aboriginal Experiences in Australia’s Northern Territory

Immerse yourself in the stories, artworks and ancient traditions spanning more than 60,000 years | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

What Does the Universe Sound Like?

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and other researchers have melded astronomy and music to offer a new oeuvre | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Space Officials Want a Time Zone for the Moon

Lunar timekeeping could help with navigation and communication, but experts say it will be difficult | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island

The stone monolith is one of the famous moai sculptures scattered across the landscape | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

See Thousands of Sandhill Cranes Gather in Nebraska

Every year, travelers attempt to witness the birds on their long journey north | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

Seaside California City Bans Balloons in Public

Laguna Beach has joined several other cities taking aim at ocean pollution, wildlife health, power outages and wildfires | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

David Bowie's 80,000-Item Archive Will Go on Display

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is building a new venue dedicated to the artist | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago

The Strange History of Binding Books in Human Skin

A new book details the innovative scientific analysis being used to explore the dark past of the craft | Continue reading


@smithsonianmag.com | 1 year ago