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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.
This Gun Shoots Criminals With DNA
This new gun shoots the bad guys with artificial DNA, that can then be traced back and identified
January 29, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Never Listen to a Wine Critic Babble About Tannins Again
Turns out, a lot of what wine experts "know" isn't really based on fact
January 29, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
3D-TV, Automated Cooking and Robot Housemaids: Walter Cronkite Tours the Home of 2001
In 1967, the most trusted man in America investigated the home of the 21st century
January 29, 2013 |
By Matt Novak
Feral Cats Kill Billions of Small Critters Each Year
A new study shows that cats--especially feral ones--kill far more birds and small mammals than scientists previously thought
January 29, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Falernum: The Elusive Cocktail Syrup to Name Drop At Your Next Party
This tiki-era mixer, best served with rum, has a hazy past and an island-y bite
January 29, 2013 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
PHOTOS: A Tale of Two (Super Bowl) Cities
Take a tour of San Francisco and Baltimore with historical photographs from the collections
January 29, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Why Do Cute Animals Make Us Want to Squeeze Their Little Brains Out?
Sometimes, we just can't handle all of that joy
January 29, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
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
Parking Meters, Originally Meant to Keep Traffic Moving, Need an Update
The long history of the parking meter - innocent seeming towers behind much of today's driving woes
January 29, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Coming Out of the Closet May Be Good For Your Health
For lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals, a new study suggests that coming out provides a tangible health benefit, both mentally and biologically
January 29, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Big Data Has Changed Dating
What it means to be single and looking for love in the time of algorithms
January 29, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The History, Science and Culture of the Super Bowl
Catch up on everything you wanted to know about the Big Game -- What's its history? What makes a good advertisement? -- and much more
January 29, 2013 |
By Smithsonian.com
All about Valentine's Day
The History of Sweethearts, How Data is Changing How we Date, the Top Demonstrations of Love and More on Valentine's Day
January 29, 2013 |
By Smithsonian.com
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
Library Full of Precious Manuscripts Burned in Timbuktu
The main library in Timbuktu is full of cultural relics, manuscripts that have survived since the 1200's hidden in wooden trunks, buried in the sand, and finally housed in the small library. But recent reports from the country say that rebels might have burned that history to the ground
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
For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II
In 1978, Soviet geologists prospecting in the wilds of Siberia discovered a family of six, lost in the taiga
January 28, 2013 |
By Mike Dash
Digital Mannequins Are Replacing Human Models in Clothing Catalogs
Now, fashion retailers are skipping the flesh and bones, and putting their clothes on digitally rendered mannequins
January 28, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Time Capsule: A Peek Back to the Day When Elvis Made It Big
On this day in 1956, Elvis appeared on the CBS program, The Stage Show, to skeptical critics and enthused audiences
January 28, 2013 |
By Leah Binkovitz
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
