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Subjects including the arts and humanities, government, nature, people, recreation, science and societyDiscover Smithsonian articles related to the arts, history, science and popular culture.
Has This Week Been Too Much? Scientists Discover Potentially Habitable Exoplanet
Three new potentially habitable exoplanets may be this week's only good news.
April 19, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Chechnya, Dagestan, and the North Caucasus: A Very Brief History
Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hails from Dagestan, a war-torn Russian region in the North Caucasus.
April 19, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
From Elephant Poop Coffee Comes Elephant Poop Coffee Beer
Beer made from coffee beans that have passed through an elephant reportedly tastes "very interesting."
April 19, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
10 Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since Last Earth Day
Pigeon-eating catfish, Antarctic trash, and more: A list of surprising, alarming and exciting discoveries about our planet from the past year
April 19, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What Modern Art Looks Like As Yummy Dessert
Pastry chef Caitlin Freeman uses inspiration from modern art to whip up cakes, cookies and other desserts
April 19, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Nikola Tesla’s Amazing Predictions for the 21st Century
The famed inventor believed "the solution of our problems does not lie in destroying but in mastering the machine"
April 19, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
Can Stress Really Make Your Hair Fall Out?
It's a common cartoon trope, but it's actually true, in a way.
April 19, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Crowds Help Robots Repair Damaged Coral Reefs
A team of Scottish scientists hopes to raise $107,000 to build coral reef repairing robots
April 19, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Dogs May Live Longer If They Are “Fixed”
A new study shows spayed dogs live a year and a half longer, on average, than their fertile counterparts.
April 19, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Do Teachers Need Their Own “Bar Exam”?
Some say the best way to improve American education--and get teachers more respect--is make them take challenging entry exams like doctors and lawyers do.
April 19, 2013 |
By Randy Rieland
Hurricane Sandy Generated Seismic Shaking As Far Away As Seattle
The superstorm's massive ocean waves produced low-level seismic activity across the entire country
April 18, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Collage Turns 100 and Continues to Inspire
From Georges Braque to a suit of easter baskets, mixed media remains a potent form of visual expression
April 18, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Athletes and Movie Stars Really Do Live Harder, Die Younger
Famous athletes and other performers are more likely to die young than their famous business, political, or academic counterparts.
April 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Why Rodents Can’t Throw Up, In Case You Were Wondering
A combination of physiology and neurology prevents these hairy little guys from being able to upchuck.
April 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Tylenol Fights Headaches…and Existential Angst?
Existential angst and physical pain may both be located in the same part of the brain; Tylenol may be able to help with both.
April 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Events April 19-22: Native American Dolls, Finding Your Way, A Troubled Korean Family and Earth Day
This weekend, meet Native doll makers, learn how clocks help us navigate, watch a mother and son reconnect and reduce your carbon footprint
April 18, 2013 |
By Paul Bisceglio
Chronic Stress is Harmful, But Short-Term Stress Can Help
The more researchers learn about stress, the more it seems there are two distinct ways we experience it: acute, or short-lived stess, and chronic, or long-term stress.
April 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Some Icelanders Are Accidentally Dating a Relative and Now There’s an App for That
Dating your relatives by accident is a common enough problem for Icelanders that there is now an app to help people avoid it
April 18, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
How a Vietnamese Refugee Built the Multi-Million Dollar Sriracha Hot Sauce Empire
Rooster sauce made $60 million last year alone, and revenue is only growing along with its popularity
April 18, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
DNA Sequencing Reveals that Coelacanths Weren’t the Missing Link Between Sea and Land
The rare fish's genome is slowly evolving—and contrary to prior speculation, it probably isn't the common ancestor of all land animals
April 17, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
