Subject
Subjects including the arts and humanities, government, nature, people, recreation, science and societyDiscover Smithsonian articles related to the arts, history, science and popular culture.
Events April 26-28: Arbor Day, Expert Collectors and Classical Music
This weekend, plant a tree, learn about the art of craft collecting and listen to one of Haydn's masterpieces
April 25, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
How Do You Say ‘Star Wars’ In Navajo?
The Navajo Nation teamed up with Lucasfilm to translate the classic space opera
April 25, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
14 Fun Facts About Penguins
Which penguin swims the fastest? Do penguins have teeth? Why do penguins sneeze? How is penguin poop useful?
April 25, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
24 Craft Creations That’ll Inspire You To Think Outside the Box
From fiber to glass, metal to ceramics, selections from this year's Craft Show will inspire you
April 25, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Google Search Terms Can Predict the Stock Market
An investing strategy based on the frequency of certain words Google searches, it turns out, might yield sizable profits
April 25, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
From prehistory to the present with many episodes in between, the region has a surprisingly meaty history of humans eating humans
April 25, 2013 |
By Sarah Everts
Why Women Like Deep Voices and Men Prefer High Ones
We find different pitches attractive because of the body size they signal—and a touch of breathiness is crucial to take the edge off deep voices in men
April 24, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Almost All That Remains of This Woman, Perhaps the First Queen of Windsor, Is Her Jewelry
Though her clothes long since decomposed and her bones are almost completely decayed, her lavish jewelry remains behind, giving hints to her identity
April 24, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Playing Video Games Can Cure Your Lazy Eye
A special version of Tetris can help adults with a lazy eye see
April 24, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Hiking with Your Dog This Summer May Be Harder Than You Think
If you've entertained ideas of boundless romping in the woods with your pet, you may be in for a serious letdown, as more and more parks have cracked down on man's best friend
April 24, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
The Story of Elizabeth Keckley, Former-Slave-Turned-Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker
A talented seamstress and savvy businesswoman, she catered to Washington's socialites
April 24, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
The ‘FlipperBot’ Is Almost as Cute as the Baby Sea Turtles It Mimics
This bio-inspired robot could help conserve and restore beaches as well as teach us about how our ancient aquatic ancestors evolved to walk on land
April 24, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This Is the New, Non-QWERTY Keyboard You Will Use to Compose Your Thumb-Powered Opus
A new keyboard layout could fix two-thumb typing
April 24, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
For Some Species, You Really Are What You Eat
Flamingos, shrimp and many other animals use chemical compounds found in their diets to color their exteriors
April 24, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
This Is How the New Bird Flu Could Get to You
If H7N9 learns to transmit from person to person, here is how it could spread around the world
April 24, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Oxford Principal Nixes Student Plan to Have Live Shark at Ball
The tipoff that it would appear at all came from a poster for the ball that simply says, in large white letters, "Ginglymostoma cirratum (you should really go look that up)"
April 24, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Eight New Things We’ve Learned About Music
It's right up there with food, sex and drugs when its comes to stirring up pleasure responses in our brains.
April 24, 2013 |
By Randy Rieland
Children of the 1980s Build Their Cities of Tomorrow
Kids tend to be pretty optimistic, but each generation betrays its own fears about the future
April 24, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
Heart Attacks May Be Linked to Air Pollution
Research conducted in six U.S. cities shows a connection between prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter in the air and a faster hardening of the arteries
April 23, 2013 |
By Claire Martin
NYC Kids May Have to Wait Until They’re 21 to Buy Cigarettes
New York City is tightening its campaign to rid the metropolis of its most significant cause of preventable deaths
April 23, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
