Human Environment
Public and private places and buildings, including cities, monuments, parks and reservations
New Mural for Dinosaur National Monument
When I visited Utah's Dinosaur National Monument this past summer the main visitor center (containing the famous rock wall speckled with fossils) was closed, but when it reopens in a few years it will feature a brand new piece of art. Over the course of three months, scientific illustrator Liz Brad...
January 19, 2010 |
By Brian Switek
Elvis Sightings: The King Holds Court in Washington, D.C.
What comes to mind when you hear the name Elvis? Musician. Icon. Sex. Spandex. Kitsch. Costello (kidding!). You can play the word association game all day long and no matter what your opinion of the man is—good, bad or indifferent—even the most suspicious minds have to admit that he is one of the g...
January 06, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Mary Anning, an Amazing Fossil Hunter
Though she had little formal education, Mary taught herself geology, paleontology, anatomy and scientific illustration, and her finds were key to the development of the theory of evolution
January 05, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Sherlock Holmes' London
As the detective stalks movie theaters, our reporter tracks down the favorite haunts of Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous sleuth
January 2010 |
By Joshua Hammer
Buckhannon, West Virginia: The Perfect Birthplace
A community in the Allegheny foothills nurtured novelist Jayne Anne Phillips' talent for storytelling
January 2010 |
By Jayne Anne Phillips
Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway
Who's up for a fossil road trip? In 2007 paleoartist Ray Troll and paleobotanist Kirk Johnson published a travelogue of their journey to check out the fossils of the American west called Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway. It is not your average paleo book. Filled with Troll's whimsical pop-art illustrat...
December 18, 2009 |
By Brian Switek
Crop Circles: The Art of the Hoax
They may not be evidence of UFOs, ancient spirits or secret weapons, but there is something magical in their allure
December 15, 2009 |
By Rob Irving and Peter Brookesmith
Samson the Tyrannosaurus Finds a Temporary Home
This past October, many paleontologists were worried about the fate of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed "Samson."With about 50 percent of his bones recovered, Samson is one of the most complete individual Tyrannosaurus skeletons found to date. This makes Samson a very important specimen. The ...
December 14, 2009 |
By Brian Switek
"Walking With Dinosaurs" Puppet Walks Off
For the past three years, the Walking With Dinosaurs live show has been entertaining arena audiences all over the world, but when the show stopped in Guadalajara, Mexico the crew noticed that one of their cast members was missing. A robotic baby Plateosaurus (which is devoured by the predatory dino...
December 11, 2009 |
By Brian Switek
Norman Rockwell's Neighborhood
A new book offers a revealing look at how the artist created his homey illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post
December 2009 |
By Richard B. Woodward
Shopping Maul
The first rule of holiday shopping: There are no rules
December 2009 |
By Caitlin Kelly
Savoring Puebla
Mexico's "City of Angels" is home to gilded churches, artistic treasures and a delectable culinary culture
December 2009 |
By Francine Prose
The Mystery of Bosnia's Ancient Pyramids
An amateur archaeologist says he's discovered the world's oldest pyramids in the Balkans. But many experts remain dubious
December 2009 |
By Colin Woodard
Dinosaurs Get Ready to Go to Abu Dhabi
In the summer of 2008, "Einstein," one of the most complete Apatosaurus skeletons ever discovered, made its international debut in the arrivals hall of the Abu Dhabi International Airport. That is a long way from the Wyoming quarry in which it was found. What reason could there be for this unique s...
November 09, 2009 |
By Brian Switek
Texas Citizens Stand Up For Paluxysaurus
Earlier this year Texas updated the name of its official state dinosaur, a sauropod dinosaur previously called Pleurocoelus but recently renamed Paluxysaurus. To celebrate the name change, a team of scientists is creating a full restoration of the dinosaur's skeleton for the Fort Worth Museum of Sc...
November 02, 2009 |
By Brian Switek
Recording the Ju/'hoansi for Posterity
For 50 years, John Marshall documented one of Africa's last remaining hunter- gatherer tribes in more than 700 hours of film footage
November 2009 |
By Amanda Bensen
Looting Mali's History
As demand for its antiquities soars, the West African country is losing its most prized artifacts to illegal sellers and smugglers
November 2009 |
By Joshua Hammer
Dinosaur Sighting: A Stegosaurus in Paris
Our latest Dinosaur Sighting comes to us from our very own Sarah Zielinski, who writes for the Surprising Science blog here at Smithsonian. During a recent visit to Paris, Sarah spotted this Stegosaurus outside the Museum National D'Histoire Naturelle, and while she did not see anyone on it while s...
October 16, 2009 |
By Brian Switek
The Fatal Consequences of Counterfeit Drugs
In Southeast Asia, forensic investigators using cutting-edge tools are helping stanch the deadly trade in fake anti-malaria drugs
October 2009 |
By Andrew Marshall
250 Years of Wedgwood
Two new exhibitions celebrate the enduring wares of ceramics designer and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood
September 29, 2009 |
By Nancy Mann Jackson
