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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.
Virtual Superhuman Powers Translate into Real Life Helpfulness
Thinking like a superhero in virtual reality may induce people to be more helpful in real life
January 31, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Americans Buy So Many Wings, They’re Now the Most Expensive Part of the Chicken
Each February, the nation's thirst for chicken wings hits the roof, making the delicate wing the most expensive bit of the bird
January 31, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Obesity Could Be the True Killer for Football Players
Head injuries have received much deserved attention in the news, but there’s a 350-pound problem that few are discussing
January 31, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans
Jazz is synonymous with the Big Easy, and there’s no bigger name in the history of the genre than Satchmo
January 31, 2013 |
By Nina Fedrizzi
How the Star-Nosed Mole ‘Sees’ With Its Ultra-Sensitive Snout
The utterly strange-looking creature sees the world with one of the most sensitive touch organs in the animal kingdom
January 30, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
These Machines Will Be Able to Detect Smells Your Own Nose Cannot
We're getting closer to the day when your smartphone knows you have a cold before you do
January 30, 2013 |
By Randy Rieland
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
People Have Been Eating Curry for 4,500 Years
Thanks to new research methods and a pile of (very old) dirty dishes, archaeologists have discovered the very ancient origins of a globally popular cuisine.
January 30, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
Prince Charles Rides the London Tube for First Time in 33 Years
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall graced the plebeians subway commuters with their presence to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the London tube's creation
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
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
Here’s What Three Mummies Might Have Looked Like While Alive
For the first time in over 2,000 years, these three mummies' faces now stare back at viewers, much as they might have appeared just before their deaths
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Much Ado About Nothing at the Equator
Just north of Quito stands a grand and glowing tribute to one of Ecuador’s proudest features: the Equator. The problem is, it was built in the wrong place
January 30, 2013 |
By Alastair Bland
Citrus Greening Will Ruin Morning OJ, No Matter How You Slice It
A recent study from the USDA looked into whether the juice from plants with citrus greening - who produce small, shriveled and green fruits -- can still be used for orange juice
January 30, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
How Did Avocados Become the Official Super Bowl Food?
Did you know this off-season penchant for guacamole is an industry creation?
January 30, 2013 |
By Twilight Greenaway
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
1913 Nickel Could Sell for More Than $2 MIllion
The coin is one of only five 1913 Liberty Head nickels known to exist, though this one has an illicit, serendipitous back story
January 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
To Hear Color, This Man Embedded a Chip in the Back of His Head
Because of a rare condition called achromatopsia—total color-blindness—he lived in a black-and-white world, until he and an inventor paired up to developed the “eyeborg,” a device that translates colors into sound
January 29, 2013 |
By Lauren Kirchner
SpaceX Wants to Fix Boeing’s Faulty Batteries, Possibly to Embarrass Them
Elon Musk has been critical of Boeing in the past
January 29, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
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
Oscar Peñas: A Music Man on a Mission
A Spanish jazz musician finds his home with international collaborations
January 29, 2013 |
By Joann Stevens

