Time
The past, present and future divided into geologic and historic eras, significant historic and cultural events, and centuries and decadesDiscover Smithsonian articles as they relate to the past, present and future.
While the East Coast Focused on Sandy, Typhoon Son-tinh Battered East Asia
Sandy was not the only tropical cyclone this week
October 30, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Fox Sisters and the Rap on Spiritualism
Their seances with the departed launched a mass religious movement—and then one of them confessed that "it was common delusion"
October 30, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
To Evacuate or Not To Evacuate?
Issuing mandatory evacuation orders is an effective means of encouraging residents to leave unsafe zones, but fear mongering is more iffy
October 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Top Ten Most Damaging U.S. Hurricanes
Surprisingly, Hurricane Katrina is not the most damaging storm on record
October 29, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Scaredy Cats Unite—Not Everyone Loves Being Afraid
A big part of Halloween is getting scared, intentionally. Why in the world would anyone want that?
October 29, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
C is for Cetiosaurus
Sauropods are iconic dinosaurs, but the first of their kind ever found was initially thought to be a huge crocodile
October 29, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Ways to Watch Sandy That Are More Interesting Than Looking Out the Window And Safer Than Going Outside
From satellites to webcams to real-time maps, here are a bunch of ways to keep track of Sandy
October 29, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Not Even the Greeks Thought the World Was Flat, But These People Do
There are some people today who claim to still believe that the Earth is flat
October 26, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Giant Paintball Gun Could Save the World From Death-by-Asteroid
A big asteroid will eventually hit the Earth. What can we do to push it out of the way?
October 26, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Did Tyrannosaurus Ever Battle Triceratops?
We love to imagine Tyrannosaurus fighting Triceratops to the death, but did such battles ever happen?
October 26, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Before Salem, There Was the Not-So-Wicked Witch of the Hamptons
Why was Goody Garlick, accused of witchcraft in 1658, spared the fate that would befall the women of Massachusetts decades later
October 26, 2012 |
By John Hanc
Could a Modern Human Beat a Neanderthal in a Fight?
It's hypothetical conflict, but who would emerge the victor?
October 25, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Feathery Ostrich Mimics Enfluffle the Dinosaur Family Tree
A trio of feathered dinosaurs tests a longstanding hypothesis and hint that there may be more feathered dinosaur fossils than anyone ever expected
October 25, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
A Halloween Massacre at the White House
In the fall of 1975 President Gerald Ford survived two assassination attempts and a car accident. Then his life got really complicated
October 25, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Napoleon’s Army May Have Suffered From the Greatest Wardrobe Malfunction in History
Historians still puzzle over Napoleon's catastrophic Russian defeat, but materials scientists think the army's buttons may be to blame
October 25, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Cracking the Code of the World’s Oldest Undeciphered Language
Researchers working on deciphering lettering from proto-Elamite, a system used between 3200BC and 2900BC are finally starting to chip away at just what these symbols mean
October 24, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Q&A: Joe Bataan, The King of Latin Soul
Mixing soul music with cultural pride in hits like "Ordinary Guy" and "Gypsy Woman," Joe Bataan speaks to the times and to the generations
October 24, 2012 |
By Joann Stevens
Reviving Heterodontosaurus
Paleontologists have known about Heterodontosaurus for decades, but a new restoration of the dinosaur shows just how freaky it was
October 24, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Italian Scientists Sent to Jail Because They Downplayed the Risk of an Earthquake
Six scientists and one former government official will do time for failing to accurately convey the risk of an earthquake
October 22, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
B is for Becklespinax
For over a century and a half, paleontologists have been confounded by the sail-backed carnivore Becklespinax. What did this dinosaur really look like?
October 22, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
