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Articles

Breeze’s earlier conceptual drawing for the Breezer 1 prototype.

Before Mountain Biking Became One of the Most Popular Recreational Sports, Adventurous Souls of the American West Had to Invent a Rugged Bike

The origin story has two settings: In Colorado, a gang of riders had the tenacity to conquer a treacherous terrain, and in California, others had the technology to design the ideal ride

Caspar David Friedrich’s The Evening Star is noteworthy for its Romantic sweep—and for the elusiveness of the stellar body (Venus) in its title. 

How Astronomers and Art Historians Are Working Together to Identify the Inspiration Behind Famous Works of Art

Researchers study paintings and literature to uncover untold history of the works, sometimes finding themselves trying to discern celestial bodies from dust

The head of a male turkey is distinguished by the colorful dewlap and caruncles on its neck.

Ben Franklin Wasn’t Serious When He Implied the Wild Turkey Would Be a ‘Respectable’ National Symbol … but He Wasn’t Wrong, Either

The birds strutted around North America for hundreds of thousands of years before hunters decimated their population. Credit its recovery to resourcefulness, a stubborn disposition and a little help

At his farm near Parma, Italy, Claudio Grossi offers a visual history of his miracle grain in photos, crackers and loaves.

An Italian Farmer Found Some Unknown Seeds in His Attic and, With Nothing to Lose, Planted Them. The Result Was Almost Biblical

When a seven-eared stem emerged from the ground, it seemed like a miracle. What Claudio Grossi had unearthed was an ancient grain that proved to be an answer to some modern problems

How do deep-sea creatures avoid getting crushed by the water pressure? 

How Do Sea Creatures Survive the Intense Pressure of Living Deep in the Water? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Bats navigate in the dark using echolocation. Scientists are piecing together how the animals understand the world through the mix of echoes that bounces back.

Bats Thrive in a Messy, Noisy World. These Four Discoveries Reveal How They Can Listen and Chatter Through the Din

From eavesdropping to echolocation tricks, science is giving us an inside look into how various bat species weaponize sound

Bison gather for a recent feeding in the forest.

Bison Used to Roam Eastern Europe Before They Neared Extinction. Now Researchers in Poland Want to Create a Suitable Home Where They Can Thrive

Once nearly extinct, wisent adapted to life in the Bialowieza Forest. Human intervention kept them from disappearing, and now humans are trying to return them to their true habitat

The caskets of fallen American service members are loaded onto the S.S. Joseph V. Connolly in Antwerp, Belgium, in September 1947.

Untold Stories of American History

Two Years After World War II Ended, This Ship Brought the Bodies of 6,251 Fallen Service Members Back Home to America

The S.S. “Joseph V. Connolly” arrived in New York City on October 26, 1947. The caskets stored in its holds contained the remains of privates and three-star generals alike

In March 1969, Private First Class Frank Kowalczyk recorded this audio letter for his family back in Illinois. Kowalczyk’s tour in Vietnam lasted 11 months and 20 days.

A Soldier in Vietnam Recorded His Letter Home Because He Thought It Was Easier Than Writing. It’s a 43-Minute Splice of History

There’s more to Private First Class Frank A. Kowalczyk’s 1969 message than routine updates on his deployment. He poignantly preserved not just his feelings and personality, but a palpable soundtrack of war

Caana, a 141-foot-high “sky palace,” was abandoned around the year 900. Over the next thousand years, it was buried beneath jungle overgrowth in remote Caracol. The palace remains the tallest human-made structure in Belize.

Archaeologists at This Ancient Maya Metropolis in the Forest of Belize Are Debunking Long-Held Myths About the Mesoamerican Civilization

Diane and Arlen Chase have spent a good portion of their lives uncovering the once-great city of Caracol. Their groundbreaking research is rewriting everything we thought we knew about the Maya

Wildwood, the latest film from stop-motion animation studio Laika, features handcrafted sets

‘Wildwood’ Is the Longest Stop-Motion Animated Film Ever. Each Frame of the Movie Is a Marvel of Handcrafted World Building

Deborah Cook, costumer designer at stop-motion animation studio Laika, discusses creating tiny costumes for puppets in a fantastical world set in the forests of Portland, Oregon

Iconic Cathedral Rock is just one example of the natural beauty found in Sedona, where iron oxide (or rust) stains the sandstone a vibrant red.

These 15 Photos Perfectly Capture the Beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona

The images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest archives will have you packing your bags for the mountains of the American Southwest

In a 1574 letter to Elizabeth I, Ivan the Terrible wrote, “If you wish for more amity and friendship from us, ponder upon that subject and do that business by which you may increase our amity toward you.”

Ivan the Terrible Wanted to Marry Elizabeth I. How Did England’s ‘Virgin Queen’ Reject the Russian Czar Without Souring Trade Relations?

A new book details the Russian ruler’s failed courtship of the Tudor queen, who famously remained unmarried during her nearly 45-year reign

Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd was a Depression-era outlaw who earned the title of the nation's "public enemy No. 1."

‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd, One of the Most Notorious Outlaws of the Great Depression, Was Shot and Killed in an FBI Raid 92 Years Ago

Some Americans lauded the 30-year-old bank robber as a Robin Hood-esque folk hero. Others castigated him as a violent criminal whose misdeeds were emblematic of the troubled era

A female green turtle digs through sand to create a nest on Aldabra atoll.

Green Sea Turtles Are Making a Remarkable Comeback on the Remote Aldabra Atoll and Around the World. But Their Recovery Is Far From Complete

One year after the species was reclassified from “endangered” to “least concern,” green turtles in the western Indian Ocean exemplify that return—and the subtleties a global designation can miss

A total solar eclipse, as seen from the European Southern Observatory's La Silla Observatory in Chile in 2019

Were Two Ancient Chinese Astronomers Beheaded for Failing to Predict an Eclipse in 2134 B.C.E.? The Story May Be a Myth, but It Underscores the Real Risks of Interpreting Celestial Events

Experts say that an oft-circulated anecdote about two royal astronomers drunkenly failing to foresee an eclipse thousands of years ago contains hints of truth

After finding cold seeps on the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean, scientists collected samples of the sediment, which sometimes rested more than 1,000 feet below the surface.

The Race for Hydrogen Fuel Has Taken These Scientists to the Arctic Seafloor. But Can They Unlock Its Secrets Before It’s Too Late?

On challenging expeditions, researchers have collected deep-sea bacteria that naturally produce hydrogen, exploring and documenting an ancient ecosystem that may soon be altered forever

The Spanish invite-only club Behomm, founded in 2013, is aimed at creatives. Some of the featured homes, like this one in Porto, Portugal, would sit comfortably in the pages of Elle Décor.

How a Bunch of Broke Teachers Created a Hot New Way to Vacation

Generation Z and millennials are choosing home swapping over hotels as chic clubs launch to embrace the trend

Two sperm whales come to the surface in the waters off Black River district in Mauritius on October 3, 2026

In the New Movie ‘Whalefall,’ a Cetacean Swallows a Diver Whole. The Sperm Whale’s Remarkable Anatomy and Feeding Habits Shape the Survival Thriller

The film, an adaptation of Daniel Kraus’ 2023 novel, tells the story of a young man with an extremely challenging task: make it out of a whale’s stomach alive

Dams block the flow of a river to hold water in a reservoir, which can be used for agriculture, recreation, household needs or industry. The flow of water through a dam can generate hydroelectric power. Aging dams are being dismantled across the country, restoring the natural flow to rivers.

Dam Removals Are Bringing Fish Back Across the Northeastern United States, Striking Down One Tiny Barrier at a Time

While the demolition of big dams in the West gets more attention, many of these often-obsolete obstructions are also coming out of northeastern streams and rivers—and herring are returning in droves

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