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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.
The Director of the Indian Museum Says It’s Time to Retire the Indian Motif in Sports
Are teams like the Indians, the Braves and the Redskins reflecting racial stereotypes?
February 06, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
A Massive 8.0 Earthquake Hit the South Pacific Last Night
Huge magnitude 8.0 earthquakes are rare--but not as rare as you'd think
February 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
How Do You Discover a 17 Million Digit Prime Number?
The 48th Mersenne prime was recently discovered on the computer of a man named Dr. Curtis Cooper, and it's 17 million digits long
February 06, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Tour the Grand Canyon From Your Computer With Google Street View
Now, thanks to Google, you don't need a plane ticket or hiking boots to experience some of the Grand Canyon's geologic magic
February 06, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
The Year’s Most Outstanding Science Visualizations
A juried competition honors photographs, illustrations, videos, posters, games and apps that marry art and science in an evocative way
February 05, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Pick Your Poison: A Diet Mixer Could Make You Get Drunk Faster
The same amount of liquor causes a higher level of intoxication when mixed with diet soda instead of regular soda, a new study finds
February 05, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The History of the Flapper, Part 1: A Call for Freedom
The young, fashionable women of the 1920s define the dress and style of their peers in their own words
February 05, 2013 |
By Emily Spivack
The Two-Bedroom Apartment in Jersey That Had Its Own Chinese Art Collection
Some 5,000 items filled Paul Singer's apartment, now 63 go on display
February 05, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Parisian Women Legally Allowed to Wear Pants for the First Time in 200 Years
On January 31, France's minister of women's rights made if officially impossible to arrest a woman for wearing pants in Paris
February 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Earthworms Could Make Climate Change Worse
While earthworms benefit soils, they do play a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide - though not nearly as great as humans, of course
February 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Fastest Way to Send Big Chunks of Data Is Through the Mail, Not the Internet
The future of Big Data is in the post
February 05, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
North Korea’s New Video Is Only Its Latest Propaganda About Attacking the U.S.
North Korea's latest propaganda depicts their new rocket and a burning United States
February 05, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Bangs, Bobs and Bouffants: The Roots of the First Lady’s Tresses
Michelle Obama's modern look has a long history
February 05, 2013 |
By Amy Henderson
This Drone Can Fit In Your Palm
The Black Hornet currently rank as the world's smallest military-grade spy drone, weighing just 16 grams and measuring at 4 inches long
February 05, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
What Makes Muscles Twitch?
Whether it's your eyelid twitching, an involuntary shudder, or a muscle elsewhere contracting at random, twitchy muscles happen to everyone. But what are they, and why do they happen?
February 05, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Colorful Kindergarten Lessons Throw Color-Blind Kids Off Their Game
Think back to kindergarten, sitting on your carpet square, with the days of the weeks on the wall coloring in some dinosaur in crayons. Now try to imagine doing kindergarten while color blind
February 05, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Should the Constitution Be Scrapped?
In a new book, Louis Michael Seidman claims that arguing about the constitutionality of laws and reforms is the cause of our harsh political discourse
February 05, 2013 |
By Amy Crawford
There’s No Such Thing as a Concussion-Proof Helmet
Essentially, if you put 15 inches of foam on the outside of the helmet, you can make a concussion free helmet. But that's completely impractical
February 04, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Medics May Be Able to Save Soldiers by Injecting Foam Into Gut Wounds
Internal bleeding on the battlefield often proves deadly for soldiers hit by bullets or shrapnel, but a new foam injected into soldiers' abdomens could save lives
February 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Why Cockroaches Meticulously Groom Their Antennae
Just as humans scrub off to remove dead skin cells, sweat and dirt from the day, insects also busy themselves to keep clean
February 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
