Photo of the Day

conoeing

Video of the Day

Video Contest

Collage of Arts and Sciences Blog

Princeton University Celebrates the Art of Science

In a new exhibition, the university showcases 43 images rooted in scientific research that force viewers to contemplate the definition of art
9:24 AM ET | By Megan Gambino

Arts & Culture

Behind the Scenes in the Smithsonian Regents’ Room

Explore a room in the Smithsonian Castle with a curious history that includes fire and destruction, séances for skeptics and even a skeleton in the closet

Surprising Science Blog

Endangered Ocean Creatures Beyond the Cute and Cuddly

Marine species threatened with extinction aren't just whales, seals and turtles--they include fish, corals, mollusks, birds, and a lone seagrass
May 17, 2013 | By Emily Frost

Design Decoded Blog

The Past, Present, and Future of the Cuckoo Clock

From Orson Welles to Twitter, a look into the classic time-telling relic from your grandparents' attic
May 17, 2013 | By Jimmy Stamp

Innovations Blog

Can Brain Scans Really Tell Us What Makes Something Beautiful?

Some scientists think we'll be able to define great art by analyzing our brains when we see or hear it. Critics say don't hold your breath
May 17, 2013 | By Randy Rieland

Arts & Culture

Will the Real Great Gatsby Please Stand Up?

F. Scott Fitzgerald couldn’t resist putting his own life into his novels, but where’s the line between truth and fiction?
May 07, 2013 | By Sarah Laskow

Surprising Science Blog

Earthworms in Your Garden May Help Prevent Invasive Slugs from Devouring Plants

In the lab, the presence of earthworms can reduce the number of leaves damaged by slugs by 60 percent, a new study finds
May 16, 2013 | By Mohi Kumar

Ideas & Innovations

Interactive: The 50 Largest Ports in the World

Investigate for yourself the mechanisms of global trade

Paleofuture Blog

The National Automated Highway System That Almost Was

In 1991, Congress authorized $650 million to develop the technology that would make driverless cars a reality
May 16, 2013 | By Matt Novak

Around the Mall Blog

Air and Space Curator Margaret Weitekamp Explains Why ‘Star Trek’ Matters

With the release of the 12th Star Trek film, curator Margaret Weitekamp explains why the franchise is so influential
May 15, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

Surprising Science Blog

Solving an Alligator Mystery May Help Humans Regrow Lost Teeth

A gator can replace all of its teeth up to 50 times--learning what triggers these new teeth to grow may someday keep us from needing dentures
May 13, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

History & Archaeology

We Had No Idea What Alexander Graham Bell Sounded Like. Until Now

Smithsonian researchers used optical technology to play back the unplayable records
May 2013 Issue | By Charlotte Gray

History & Archaeology

The True Story of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Nathaniel Philbrick takes on one of the Revolutionary War’s most famous and least understood battles
May 2013 Issue | By Tony Horwitz

History & Archaeology

8 Famous People Who Missed the Lusitania

For one reason or another, these lucky souls never boarded the doomed ship whose sinking launched America's involvement in WWI
May 02, 2013 | By Greg Daugherty

Threaded Blog

Where’d You Get Those Creepers?

The platform-soled, punk-style shoes have celebrated the 'Teddy Boy' spirit since the late 1940s
May 16, 2013 | By Emily Spivack

Arts & Culture

Never Underestimate the Power of a Paint Tube

Without this simple invention, impressionists such as Claude Monet wouldn’t have been able to create their works of genius
May 2013 Issue | By Perry Hurt

Arts & Culture

The Revolutionary Effect of the Paperback Book

This simple innovation transformed the reading habits of an entire nation
May 2013 Issue | By Clive Thompson

Ideas & Innovations

The Very Model of a Modern Major STEM School

As science and math-focused campuses multiply around the country, Denver’s School of Science and Technology is solving the equation for what makes a STEM school great
April 15, 2013 | By Rachel Cernansky

Ideas & Innovations

Life in the City Is Essentially One Giant Math Problem

Experts in the emerging field of quantitative urbanism believe that many aspects of modern cities can be reduced to mathematical formulas
May 2013 Issue | By Jerry Adler

Advertisement

Follow Us

AT THE SMITHSONIAN
Scenes and Sightings from the Museums

  • Around the Mall
  • Visitor's Guide

How Astronaut Sally Ride Opened Science’s Doors to Women

A panel discusses the first American woman in space's lasting legacy and the challenges still to be ...
By Paul Bisceglio

The Design Future of New York as Seen by Urbanist Michael Sorkin

A theorist who can't stop planning has big ideas for his hometown on sustainability, equity and the ...
By Leah Binkovitz

Events May 21-23: A WWII Fighter Pilot’s Tale, Asian Pacific American Culture and the Mississippi River

This week, attend a talk by a decorated WWII fighter pilot, explore a new American History Museum ex...
By Paul Bisceglio



Advertisement

Travel with Smithsonian



Marketplace