https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/science-nature/RSS feed for ScienceenThu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-humans-mastered-fire-now-burning-fossil-fuels-and-blazing-landscapes-threaten-to-undo-the-world-180988531/Intensifying wildfires across the continent are spewing air pollution, putting human health at risk, particularly Americans living with chronic illnessesThu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ancient-humans-mastered-fire-now-burning-fossil-fuels-and-blazing-landscapes-threaten-to-undo-the-world-180988531/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-hell-creek-formation-is-north-americas-legendary-boneyard-see-the-top-five-discoveries-found-in-the-iconic-fossil-bed-180988545/From preserved plants to T. rex, the material found in these Late Cretaceous rocks has resulted in countless breakthroughs for paleontologistsWed, 15 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-hell-creek-formation-is-north-americas-legendary-boneyard-see-the-top-five-discoveries-found-in-the-iconic-fossil-bed-180988545/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/As the historic lunar flyby comes to a close, space companies and nations around the world are also shooting for the moon. Upcoming landings aim to change the landscape of space explorationThu, 09 Apr 2026 14:02:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-lies-beyond-artemis-2-these-other-missions-are-setting-their-sights-on-the-moon-this-yearand-on-a-future-with-humans-in-space-180988517/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-photographers-glimpse-into-the-dwindling-world-of-the-cascade-red-fox-180988516/Gretchen Kay Stuart has chronicled the work of a small team of biologists who are trying to keep a little known and breathtakingly beautiful endangered species from disappearingThu, 09 Apr 2026 10:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-photographers-glimpse-into-the-dwindling-world-of-the-cascade-red-fox-180988516/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/earths-smells-are-disappearing-because-of-climate-change-and-its-a-vast-cultural-loss-180988496/A triple threat of pollution, extinction and warming temperatures is altering the way the planet smells. Scientists are only beginning to understand the stakes for humansWed, 08 Apr 2026 12:57:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/earths-smells-are-disappearing-because-of-climate-change-and-its-a-vast-cultural-loss-180988496/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/la-brea-tar-pits-sucking-visitors-millennia-paleontologits-still-finding-out-what-lies-within-ooze-180988404/In Los Angeles, scientists are delighted to decode one of the richest fossil records on EarthTue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/la-brea-tar-pits-sucking-visitors-millennia-paleontologits-still-finding-out-what-lies-within-ooze-180988404/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/endangered-proboscis-monkey-easily-identifiable-by-one-physical-trait-supersized-schnoz-180988420/When you see this primate's nose, you know you're in Borneo, where efforts are underway to restore its habitatMon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/endangered-proboscis-monkey-easily-identifiable-by-one-physical-trait-supersized-schnoz-180988420/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/purple-martins-rely-on-human-landlords-to-provide-nest-boxes-each-spring-can-that-dynamic-last-180988478/The large swallows have nested alongside human settlements for centuries. Now, the birds' breeding success depends on caretakers who are beginning to age out of the roleFri, 03 Apr 2026 12:33:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/purple-martins-rely-on-human-landlords-to-provide-nest-boxes-each-spring-can-that-dynamic-last-180988478/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spectators-flocked-to-the-artemis-2-launch-to-witness-history-being-made-one-awed-viewer-called-it-the-best-thing-ever-180988474/Wednesday evening, a human mission to the moon lifted off for the first time in more than 50 years. These 13 photographs capture what it was like to experience the momentThu, 02 Apr 2026 16:38:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spectators-flocked-to-the-artemis-2-launch-to-witness-history-being-made-one-awed-viewer-called-it-the-best-thing-ever-180988474/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cascade-red-foxes-notoriously-reclusive-how-photographer-captured-stunning-images-endangered-species-180988419/Even the scientists who study the animals rarely see them except on camera. But Gretchen Kay Stuart spent a season documenting them up closeTue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/cascade-red-foxes-notoriously-reclusive-how-photographer-captured-stunning-images-endangered-species-180988419/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/was-spinosaurus-really-a-hell-heron-digging-into-the-star-of-netflixs-the-dinosaurs-180988440/With an incredible sail and heavy bones that might have acted as ballast, Spinosaurus seems primed for snatching fish. The creature has long captivated the public, from its early mysteries to the recent discovery of a new speciesMon, 30 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/was-spinosaurus-really-a-hell-heron-digging-into-the-star-of-netflixs-the-dinosaurs-180988440/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/A new experiment is testing the commercial success of fish traps in Washington and Oregon. Even as some conservationists embrace the technique, its return has reopened old wounds among local fishersFri, 27 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fish-traps-have-been-banned-on-the-columbia-river-for-nearly-a-century-could-bringing-them-back-help-save-salmon-180988439/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-a-small-winter-flower-has-attracted-droves-of-admirersand-offers-a-symbol-of-resilience-180988423/The snowdrop, or Galanthus, blooms when the world is still frozen. Gardeners enamored with the plant gather each year in Pennsylvania to celebrate its subtleties and enduranceWed, 25 Mar 2026 14:05:38 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-a-small-winter-flower-has-attracted-droves-of-admirersand-offers-a-symbol-of-resilience-180988423/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/alien-life-could-look-nothing-like-what-we-expect-heres-how-microbes-beyond-earth-might-live-without-liquid-water-180988384/Like the lead character of “Project Hail Mary,” some scientists are proposing ways that life might exist beyond a star’s “habitable zone,” often considered the gold standard of potential livabilityFri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/alien-life-could-look-nothing-like-what-we-expect-heres-how-microbes-beyond-earth-might-live-without-liquid-water-180988384/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-sea-slugs-can-eat-sunlight-but-theyre-no-astrophage-heres-how-the-project-hail-mary-antagonist-has-a-real-life-analog-in-earths-oceans-180988361/By snatching chloroplasts from algae, animals called sacoglossans produce their own energy through photosynthesisWed, 18 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-sea-slugs-can-eat-sunlight-but-theyre-no-astrophage-heres-how-the-project-hail-mary-antagonist-has-a-real-life-analog-in-earths-oceans-180988361/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-charcoal-eating-fungi-flourish-after-fires-uncovering-their-genetic-secrets-could-help-rebuild-burned-ecosystems-180988336/Mycologists cultivated fungi they found in post-wildfire landscapes to understand the evolutionary traits behind their ability to thrive in the wake of flamesFri, 13 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-charcoal-eating-fungi-flourish-after-fires-uncovering-their-genetic-secrets-could-help-rebuild-burned-ecosystems-180988336/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/venomous-snakes-represent-a-serious-public-health-problem-scientists-are-biting-back-with-a-groundbreaking-antidote-180988338/Researchers around the world are attempting to create a safer and more effective treatment in hopes of saving hundreds of thousands of livesThu, 12 Mar 2026 13:27:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/venomous-snakes-represent-a-serious-public-health-problem-scientists-are-biting-back-with-a-groundbreaking-antidote-180988338/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bumblebee-queens-breathe-underwater-to-survive-drowning-revealing-how-they-can-live-submerged-for-a-week-180988330/After scientists accidentally discovered that the common eastern bumblebee can withstand flood conditions, they wanted to investigate what makes that super-ability possibleWed, 11 Mar 2026 15:15:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/bumblebee-queens-breathe-underwater-to-survive-drowning-revealing-how-they-can-live-submerged-for-a-week-180988330/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/would-you-jump-into-your-local-river-swimmable-cities-may-be-within-reach-as-once-polluted-waterways-are-restored-180988317/Efforts to improve the “swimmability” of urban areas are gaining global traction, from Paris to ChicagoTue, 10 Mar 2026 15:13:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/would-you-jump-into-your-local-river-swimmable-cities-may-be-within-reach-as-once-polluted-waterways-are-restored-180988317/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/in-the-worlds-best-place-to-see-wild-jaguars-residents-are-using-the-big-cats-appeal-to-reach-conservation-goals-180988290/Brazil’s Pantanal region has the highest jaguar density on Earth, drawing camera-toting visitors to its riverbanks. Despite overtourism concerns, one enclave may offer a model for how to protect the charismatic apex predatorWed, 04 Mar 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/in-the-worlds-best-place-to-see-wild-jaguars-residents-are-using-the-big-cats-appeal-to-reach-conservation-goals-180988290/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/as-adhd-coaching-gains-popularity-researchers-stress-the-importance-of-careful-vetting-180988270/A recent survey highlights variation in the training credentials and experience across the burgeoning industry, which is mostly unregulated and unlicensedTue, 03 Mar 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/as-adhd-coaching-gains-popularity-researchers-stress-the-importance-of-careful-vetting-180988270/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-giant-carnivore-ran-on-hooves-scientists-are-investigating-its-massive-skull-and-crushing-teeth-to-decipher-the-beasts-true-nature-180988212/For more than a century, paleontologists have been piecing together how the mysterious predator Andrewsarchus is related to other mammals, like the extinct “hell pigs” and “wolves with hooves”Thu, 19 Feb 2026 18:37:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-giant-carnivore-ran-on-hooves-scientists-are-investigating-its-massive-skull-and-crushing-teeth-to-decipher-the-beasts-true-nature-180988212/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/sahara-desert-hasnt-always-been-dry-desolate-landscape-some-scientists-see-signs-greening-again-180988098/Petroglyphs on sandstone at a national park in Chad bear witness to wildlife that once roamed the area before the continent’s water largely receded 6,000 years ago. Could it return?Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/sahara-desert-hasnt-always-been-dry-desolate-landscape-some-scientists-see-signs-greening-again-180988098/