Natural Sciences
The natural sciences seek to understand the universe by studying its physical, chemical and biological processes
Searching for the Russian Loch Ness Monster in a Frozen Siberian Lake
In a record-breaking dive, the head of the Russian Geographical Society sunk to the bottom of Lake Labynkyr in Siberia, one of the coldest lakes in the world
February 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Honey, I Blew Up the Bugs
Italian artist Lorenzo Possenti created 16 enormous sculptures of giant insects, all scientifically accurate, now on display at an Oklahoma museum
February 04, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Scientists See Insect Outbreaks From Space
A new tool uses satellite imagery to help researchers track small disturbances such as bug infestations, which may increase in scope as climate changes
February 01, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
Quantum Physicists Show What Time Travel Could Look Like
Quantum physics professors at the University of Ulm in Germany, have created a mathematically-accurate visual approximation of the hypothetical Gödel model of the universe. That is, they show what it would look like if you could simultaneously see past, present, and future versions of physical objects. Sandrine Ceurstemont of New Scientist, who compiled the video [...]
February 01, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Lemurs Are the Most Endangered Mammals on the Planet, And This Adorable Baby Is Their Future
The vast majority of lemur species are facing extinction, but this baby Coquerel's safika is trying to help
February 01, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
How Climate Change Affects the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough looks at how our scientists are studying our changing climate
February 2013 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
The Building Blocks of Life May Have Come From Outer Space
Did meteorites seed Earth the building blocks of life?
February 2013 |
By Ker Than
Air Pollution Has Been a Problem Since the Days of Ancient Rome
By testing ice cores in Greenland, scientists can look back at environmental data from millennia past
February 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
CSI: Tennessee—Enter the World of Nuclear Forensics
Scientists are busy tracking the sources of stolen uranium in the hopes of deterring crime—and prevent the weapons getting into the wrong hands
February 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
When Did Humans Come to the Americas?
Recent scientific findings date their arrival earlier than ever thought, sparking hot debate among archaeologists
February 2013 |
By Guy Gugliotta
Welcome to America’s Dinosaur Playground
Countless bones and a billion years of geological action make Dinosaur National Monument the go-to park for fossil finds
February 2013 |
By Mary Roach
How Long Can Turtles Stay Underwater and Other Questions From Our Readers
You asked? We answered
February 2013 |
By Smithsonian magazine
New Research Disproves Prehistoric Killer-Comet Theory (Again)
Maybe the problem here is that other prevailing theories of the Clovis’ decline are just super boring by comparison
January 31, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
A New Disease, a New Reason to Hate And Fear Ticks
A worrisome new tick-borne disease, similar to Lyme disease but caused by a different microbe, turned up in 18 patients in southern New England
January 31, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Just a Nibble of Chocolate Is Enough to Satiate Cravings
Larger portions lead to increased grazing, but there's no benefit when it comes to banishing cravings.
January 31, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Some Microbes Are So Resilient They Can Ride Hurricanes
By comparison, other lifeforms such as fungal spores and pollen don’t thrive nearly as well as the microbes, the survey found.
January 30, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Beatboxing, as Seen Through Scientific Images
To see exactly how certain sound effects are humanly possible, a team of University of Southern California researchers took MRI scans of a beatboxer in action
January 30, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Google’s New Maps Reveal That, Yes, There Are Roads in North Korea
Seemingly overnight the formerly Google map-blank North Korea modernized, with highways, roads and train stops clustering around the capital and snaking into the country's northern stretches
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
First Signs of Life Found in Antarctica’s Subglacial Lakes
Preliminary tests from subglacial Lake Willard have shown signs of life
January 29, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Did Shakespeare Have Syphilis?
Shakespeare acquired an uncanny obsession with syphilis late in life, perhaps along with a few bacteria of his own
January 29, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
