Nature

Many of the animals along the American Trail, including the bald eagle, are part of a conservation comeback.

Events August 31-September 1: Prehistoric Prints, American Animals and a Peek Inside the Castle

This weekend, learn how man really came to walk the Earth, visit the newly opened American Trail and get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Castle

Sunset just south of Humbug Mountain, where Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino laid the first European eyes in 1603.

At a Glance: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Oregon Coast

The coastal Highway 101 route, through rainforest and redwoods, is as beautiful as it is popular

Artist Jananne al-Ani discusses her work at the Sackler Gallery this Saturday at 2pm.

Events August 24-26: Bones, Steel Pans, and Photographic Ingenuity

This weekend, bone up on your skeletal knowledge, survey new artwork from the Middle East and celebrate the steel pan

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Where Has the Heat Been Most Oppressive This Summer?

This year is shaping up to be among the warmest on record—not only in the United States but worldwide. Here are a few of the hottest hotspots

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Shark Week Proves We Are Fascinated by Sharks, So Why Do We Kill So Many of Them?

Around the world, these animals command a strange sort of fascination in their human admirers—an urge to see, learn and encounter, but also to kill

Heirloom tomatoes will star at the Sonoma Heirloom Tomato Festival this September at Kendall-Jackson Winery.

Great Food Festivals of the World

To sample the best foods and flavors of a region, head for a festival

This Friday night, head over to the Freer Gallery’s Meyer Auditorium for a screening of the film, “An Autumn’s Tale” (Dir.: Mabel Cheung,1987).

Events August 10-12: Date Night, Super Science Saturday, The Story of the Earth

Desolate wilderness surrounds the giant Lake Baikal, the deepest, oldest and most voluminous lake on earth.

Lake Baikal and More of the Weirdest Lakes of the World

Set deep within the Russian subcontinent, Baikal is the deepest, oldest and most voluminous of all lakes

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Newly Acquired Whale Skull a “Missing Link”

Marine mammals expert Charles Potter has big plans for his newest acquisition

Seemingly benign bovines and other livestock eat soybeans from the deforested tropics, emit clouds of methane, pollute streams and gobble up 30 percent of the world’s grain production. It makes one wonder whether the world might taste better without them.

Is the Livestock Industry Destroying the Planet?

For the earth's sake, maybe it's time we take a good, hard look at our dietary habits

Beautiful and educational, X-ray images help us learn more about evolution.

Events July 31-Aug 2: X-Ray Fish, Imperial India and Club Native

This week at the Smithsonian, the evolution of fish through X-Ray, India's imperial arts and the divisive legacy of Native blood laws

A list of more great books to read while traveling

More Great Books and Where Best to Read Them

A continuation of last week's list of the author's favorite reads

This Sunday, learn Kathak, one of eight traditional Indian dances.

Events July 27-29: Human Origins, “This is Peru” and a Meeting of Worlds

Celebrate Peru and learn traditional Indian dance this weekend

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Why the Idea of Killing Sharks to Make Waters Safer Is Absurd

The recent fatal shark attack off Western Australia has ignited a debate there over whether the fish should continue to be protected

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Sam Kean Decodes DNA’s Past

The author discusses his new book, a collection of entertaining stories about the field of genetics titled The Violinst's Thumb

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Great Books—and the Best Places to Read Them

Reading while traveling can serve as a sensory supplement to one's surrounding environment. Here are some of my favorite books and where to read them

Research Associate Alain Touwaide, seated in his office in the Natural History Museum, argues Rome’s great expansion was driven not by geopolitical strategy, but by a need for plants.

Colds and Conquests: How A Health Crisis May Have Spurred Roman Expansion

Smithsonian Research Associate Alain Touwaide will argue that a quest for medicinal plants may have spurred Roman expansion at his July 18 lecture

A map of Chicago, Illinois, imprinted in 1913 from the United States Geographical Survey’s historical topographic map collection.

A Treasure Trove of Old Maps at Your Fingertips

Soon, all of the United States Geographical Survey's old topographical maps will be available online

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WWII Navy Corpsman Collected Birds Between Pacific Theater Battles

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Return of the King Salmon

In the ocean waters just off California's Central Coast, the fish are swarming this summer like they haven't in years

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