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Outer Space, our solar system and Earth’s geography, geology and human environmentDiscover Smithsonian articles by place—including Earth, the solar system and outer space.
Round Three: Drills vs. Insanely Thick Antarctic Ice. Fight!
The hunt for microbial life in Antarctic subglacial lakes continues. Now it's the American's turn
January 15, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Hot Condiment of 2013? Barrel-Aged Hot Sauce
Restauranteurs across the nation are feeding a new trend by feeding hot sauce into whiskey oak barrels
January 15, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
More Soldiers Die From Suicide Than Fall in Combat
In 2012, 349 active-duty servicemembers took their own lives
January 15, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Romans Did All Sorts of Weird Things in The Public Baths—Like Getting Their Teeth Cleaned
For ancient Romans enjoying a day at the bathhouse, the list of items lost to drains includes jewelry, scalpels, teeth, needles and plates
January 14, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Is America a Nation of Soul Food Junkies?
Filmmaker Bryan Hurt explores what makes soul food so personal, starting with his own father's health struggle, in a PBS film premiering tonight
January 14, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Texas’ New Library Won’t Have Any Books
In San Antonio, an entirely bookless library system
January 14, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
One Man’s Seven-Year March Along Ancient Migration Routes
This past Sunday, journalist Paul Salopek began his walk from Ethiopia to Patagonia
January 11, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Flores Hobbits Were Sort of Like Humans, Sort of Like Chimps, Sort of Like Tolkien’s Fantasy Beings
Archaeologists are slowly bringing "the Hobbit Human" to light as new bones turn up
January 11, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Raccoons Are Getting Brain Cancer From a Previously Unknown Virus
A new cancer-causing virus is affecting U.S. raccoons
January 10, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Ongoing Drought Could Send the Chicago River Flowing in Reverse
Low water levels in Lake Michigan could cause the Chicago River to start flowing the other way
January 10, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
The Gadgets of the Future From the Electrical Shows of Yesterday
Decades before the debut of the Consumer Electronics Show, early adopters flocked to extravagant high-tech fairs in New York and Chicago
January 10, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
No Place Compares to the Unrelenting Lifelessness of Peru’s Sechura Desert
From the lush, tropical mountains, we descended into a landscape of flailing-armed cacti, spiny succulents like giant artichokes and sand dunes as high as mountains
January 10, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Gonorrhea Mutates Into Treatment-Resistant Superbug
The world may be at the brink of an epidemic of drug-resistent gonorrhea, though simply using condoms could save the day
January 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
There Are Whales Alive Today Who Were Born Before Moby Dick Was Written
Some of the bowhead whales in the icy waters off of Alaska today are over 200 years old
January 09, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Tide’s a Smart Product to Steal Even If You’re Not Addicted to Drugs
It's a criminal strategy that comes with low risks and high rewards.
January 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Novice’s Guide to Venturing Into the World of Craft Beer
From food pairings to the best brews for beginners, Dan Koester presents a comprehensive guide to craft beer
January 09, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
This Road Glows in the Dark
If you've ever been on a dark country road, you know how hard it can be to see just where the asphalt ends and the rest of the world begins. Well, in the Netherlands, they've proposed a clever solution: glow in the dark road paint
January 09, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
There Goes the Ecosystem: Alien Animals Invade Antarctica
Humanity is well on its way to screwing up Antarctic and the Southern Ocean in addition to the warmer corners of the world
January 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Elusive Giant Squid Captured on Film for the First Time
The squid is about 10-feet long and was spotted over half a mile below the ocean surface about 620 miles south of Tokyo
January 08, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
You Can Now Buy Space Shuttle Launch Facilities
Haven't you always wanted to own a launch pad?
January 08, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
