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National Museum of Natural History

To Understand a Changing Estuary, Smithsonian Scientists Search for Biodiversity Buried in the Sediment

This past June, researchers congregated at the Smithsonian Marine Station to catalogue the vast diversity of tiny animals living in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon

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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Bao Li, Qing Bao and the Secrets of Summer Panda Life at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo

How are the giant pandas spending their first summer in Washington, D.C.? And what’s changed since they arrived nine months ago? Keeper Mariel Lally explains.

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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

A Comparison of Colorful Hamlets From the Caribbean Challenges Ideas About How Species Arise

Scientists have been thinking about how new species evolve since Darwin wrote On The Origin of Species in 1859. The results presented here call into question some of the most common explanations of how species originate.

More From Smithsonian Voices
Postcard showing a woman sitting on the observing chair in front of a large refracting telescope. A man stands to her right leaning forward on a ladder.

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Maria Mitchell: America’s First Woman Astronomer and Mentor to Women in Science

Maria Mitchell, the first widely recognized American woman scientist, gained international acclaim after discovering a comet in 1847. As Vassar College’s first astronomy professor, she advanced opportunities for women in science and mentored a generation of students using one of the country’s finest observatories.

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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Nature’s Copycats: What Cryptic Insects Reveal About Tropical Biodiversity Blind Spots

A new study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) estimates 10% of insect species on Barro Colorado Island may be cryptic, or visually indistinguishable from related species, highlighting potential gaps in scientists’ understanding of ecosystem dynamics

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National Museum of Natural History

How Much Wood Could a Museum Collect? Much More Than a Woodchuck Could

From providing forensic wooden "fingerprints" to insights on structural engineering, the museum’s collection of rare and wonderful lumber is a prized scientific resource

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Smithsonian Books

Whether You're a Local or a Tourist, Give Your Kids the Best Smithsonian Experience With Our Official Guide

Learn about amazing family and kid-friendly exhibitions and events across the Smithsonian

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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Smithsonian Digitizes Pollen From 18,000 Plant Species for Paleontology Research, Allergy Medicine and More

Pollen from 18,000 tropical plants was digitized in Panama. The images will be used to train a machine-learning model to identify pollen grains, as part of the PollenGEO project

Amelia Earhart seated, wearing a leather jacket and scarf, gazing slightly to the side.

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Amelia Earhart’s Trailblazing Life in Aviation

Pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Learn how she used aviation to champion women's independence and made history in her red Lockheed Vega 5B.

A group of children sit on the grass to read silently to themselves

Smithsonian Education

Pep Rally Celebrates Literacy and a Lifelong Passion for Learning With Seattle Youth

Collaborating national organizations Amazon, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, NFL Inspire Change, and the Smithsonian have come together to encourage excitement around reading. Their latest event in Seattle provided over 1,250 books to youth and their Club libraries

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Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

The Dance of the Feather Is a Flight Between Tradition and Modernity

The dance tradition has survived five centuries of cultural changes and fused Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past with its present

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Smithsonian Books

What Would It Be Like to Live on an Ice Planet?

With basic science and imagination, we can hypothesize what life might develop on other planets

A white spacecraft against a black background. The fuselage is spangled with dark blue stars and black circles. A large wing is swiveled up away from the fuselage. The tail of the spacecraft is marked by this identifying number: N328KF.

National Air and Space Museum

A Triumphant Test Vehicle Is Celebrated in a New Gallery

SpaceShipOne didn't need NASA to get to space.

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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

New DNA Monitoring Tool Enables Scientists to Identify Specific Animals by Their Feces

Scientists from the Smithsonian have successfully used swift fox droppings to identify individual animals and collect other data vital to monitoring a reintroduced population in Montana.

A white man in his mid-50s stands on a mezzanine overlooking several military jet airplanes parked on the concrete floor of a large hangar. The man is smiling and wearing a dark gray suit, blue shirt, and tie.

National Air and Space Museum

How a Military Veteran Became a Museum Professional

A retired airfield manager finds his second act at the Smithsonian.

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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Mutualism Under Pressure: New Research in Panama Shows a Plant's Ability to Keep Its Defender Ants Happy

Scientists discovered that swollen-thorn acacias invested more in ant rewards during a drought, suggesting that mutualistic interactions play a crucial role in the plant's survival, even during climate stress

Inside a large hangar filled with natural light, three white people maneuver a small red, white, and blue airplane into its display space. At least eight aircraft are suspended from the hangar's ceiling.

National Air and Space Museum

How to Build an Airplane in Seven Days

Aircraft manufacturing doesn't have to be a commercial activity.

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Smithsonian Books

How Leonardo da Vinci Represents the Connection Between Art and Science

Discover where the scientific and artistic worlds meet

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Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

How Black Women Tell the Stories of Their Lives and Communities Through Quilts

Exploring the Women of Color Quilters Network through SAAM's collection

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell playing their instraments

National Museum of American History

August at the National Museum of American History

Exhibits, music and more this month at the museum.