Natural Sciences
The natural sciences seek to understand the universe by studying its physical, chemical and biological processes
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
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
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
How Long Can Turtles Stay Underwater and Other Questions From Our Readers
You asked? We answered
February 2013 |
By Smithsonian magazine
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
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
We’re One Step Closer to a Real Tractor Beam
In one of a long string of advances towards a tractor beam, researchers at St. Andrews have been able to move things with a beam of light
January 28, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
After Eleven Years, the DSM-5 Is Finally Finished
After eleven years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has updated the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
January 28, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Iran Says It Sent This Traumatized-Looking Monkey to Space
Western nations fear the same technologies deployed in Iran's space program could be used to develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads
January 28, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Experimental ‘Alcoholism Vaccine’ Gives Drinkers an Instant Hangover
People who have been given the vaccine will experience an immediate hangover from even a drop of alcohol, making drinking such an unpleasant experience that they’ll be forced to abstain
January 28, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Urban Heat Islands Can Alter Temperatures Thousands of Miles Away From a City
Ambient heat produced by a city's buildings and cars often gets lifted into the jet stream and affects temperatures in places thousands of miles away
January 26, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Twitter Can Help Track Outbreaks of Disease
Next time you have a cold or feel the first malarial chill hit your bones, consider doing the world a favor and tweeting those symptoms out
January 25, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Mona Lisa Travels by Laser, to Space And Back Again
To test the reaches of laser communication, NASA beamed a digital image of Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait to a satellite orbiting the moon
January 25, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
