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.
Kenai the Sea Otter, Rescued From Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Has Died
One of the last two otters rescued from the Exxon Valdez oil spill has just passed away
October 11, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Three Quarters of Americans Now Believe Climate Change Is Affecting the Weather
74 percent of surveyed Americans think that global warming is changing the weather
October 09, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Shrew-Eating Scientists Show Humans Can Digest Bone
Scientists set out to measure how well we digest bone by swallowing a whole shrew, but was that really necessary?
October 09, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
How Did Dinosaurs Sleep?
A lovely little fossil shows how some dinosaurs said goodnight
October 09, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Today’s Physics Nobel Prize Didn’t Go to the Higgs
The winning research centers around figuring out the way light behaves at a very fundamental level - a field called "quantum optics"
October 09, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Bioluminescent Worms Welcomed Columbus to the New World
Before Columbus made landfall in the New World 520 years ago today, glowing green worms engaged in a mating dance may have welcomed him first
October 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Archaeologists Uncover Massive Stone Age Complex in Scotland
A 5,000-year old temple complex may have been the centre of Stone Age British culture
October 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The U.S. Air Force’s Plan To Build a Flying Saucer
Newly-released schematics show the plans for a failed flying saucer
October 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The Two Newest Nobel Prize Winners Opened Up Pandora’s Box of Stem Cell Research And Cloning
Today's Nobel Prize in medicine went to Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon for their work on stem cell research and cloning
October 08, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
When Did Human-Neanderthal Hook Ups End?
Upper Paleolithic humans coming out of Africa lost romantic interest in Neanderthals about 47,000 years ago
October 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
What (or Who) Caused the Great Chicago Fire?
The true story behind the myth of Mrs. O'Leary and her cow and how the scapegoating ruined one woman's good name and spawned a folk song that would last for decades
October 04, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
Maya Holy Snake Queen’s Tomb Unearthed in Guatemala
Glyphs carved into a ceramic jar indicate that scientists found the burial chamber of Lady K'abel, a seventh-century Maya Holy Snake Lord who is considered one of the great queens of Classic Maya civilization
October 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Haplocanthosaurus–A Morrison Mystery
Without a skull, determining the dinosaur's relationships is difficult
October 04, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Zoom Around This Detailed Map of the Ancient World
Now, you can zoom around this huge, detailed map of the ancient world labeled with cities from all sorts of archaeological records, classical text references and European imagery
October 04, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Tree Gangsters Are Killing the Rainforest
Organized criminal syndicates are responsible for most illegal logging, which accounts for up to 30 percent of timber traded globally
October 03, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Weather Channel Unilaterally Decides Winter Storms Should Have Names Like ‘Q’ and ‘Gandolf’
The private broadcaster laid out their plan to start naming blizzards
October 03, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
UNESCO-Listed Medieval Souk in Syria Burned, Bombed
Aleppo, the site of an ancient UNESCO-listed souk in Syria, went up in flames on Sunday as clashes between troops and rebels infiltrated the market quarter.
October 03, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Are These Two Toes the World’s First Prostheses?
This is probably the world's first prosthetic—a wooden toe that dates back to before 600 BC
October 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Dilophosaurus – An Early Jurassic Icon
Tracks made by a 20-foot predatory dinosaur have been found in rock from Connecticut to Arizona, but who made the tracks?
October 02, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone 3D-Prints a Gun
The 3D printing gun idea has taken off, but Stratasys, the company who's printers are being used, isn't exactly happy about it. They want their printers back
October 02, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
