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.
Archaeologists Discover 1000-Year Old Hyper-Caffeinated Tea in Illinois
Unearthed from a site near modern day St. Louis, Missouri, archaeologists found tea residue in pottery beakers that dates back to as early as 1050 A.D.
August 08, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Long Before Curiosity, Carl Sagan Had Something to Say to Kids About Mars
In a lectures series for children, Carl Sagan educates us all on the history and exploration of Mars.
August 08, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Synchronized Swimming is Really Hard, and Really Weird
Olympic synchronized swimmers get a lot of flack for their wacky sport - but while it is weird, it's also really hard.
August 08, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Singapore’s “National Night” Encourages Citizens to Make Babies
Singapore's "unbelievably low birthrates" have inspired "National Night," a campaign to encourage Singaporean couples to "let their patriotism explode" on August 9.
August 08, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
In 2010 $600 Million in Guns and Ammo Were Exported from the US
In 2010, $607 million dollars worth of small and light arms left the United States, headed to buyers around the world
August 07, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
The 1904 Olympic Marathon May Have Been the Strangest Ever
In 1904, St. Louis hosted the Olympic Games as part of the World's Fair—and produced a spectacle that incorporated all the mischief of the midway
August 07, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
Italian Supervolcano Could End Eurozone Crisis the Easy Way
Deep underground in southern Italy, just outside the city of Naples, the Campi Flegrei supervolcano has been resting for the past 500 years.
August 06, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Dinosaur Turnover
Canada's Dinosaur Park Formation is an exceptionally rich fossil boneyard, but what drove the evolution of the different dinosaurs found there?
August 03, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
76 Years Ago Today, Jesse Owens Proved the Nazis Wrong
In 1936 Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, throwing the idea of Aryan supremacy back into Hitler's face.
August 03, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
How Advertisers Convinced Americans They Smelled Bad
A schoolgirl and a former traveling Bible salesman helped turn deodorants and antiperspirants from niche toiletries into an $18 billion industry
August 03, 2012 |
By Sarah Everts
Read a 2007 Essay in Smithsonian by Gore Vidal, Last Writer of His Kind
Why more writers should be as fearless, and as prickly as Vidal.
August 01, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Who Is Your Favorite Summer Olympian?
Recall the athletes who capture our imaginations every four years and let us know who is your favorite
August 2012 |
By Channing Holman, Kat J. McAlpine, Jeanie Riess, K. Annabelle Smith and Ayesha Venkataraman
Photos: Your Favorite Summer Olympian
Recall the athletes who capture our imaginations every four years and let us know who is your favorite
August 01, 2012 |
By Channing Holman, Kat J. McAlpine, Jeanie Riess, K. Annabelle Smith and Ayesha Venkataraman
For Soldiers, Sperm Banking Could Be the New Flack Jacket
Soldiers arriving home with missing or mutilated genitals have drown attention to the lack of government support for in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination using donated sperm, which costs up to $7,000 per procedure.
July 31, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
"The Flying Housewife" of the 1948 London Games
Voted female athlete of the 20th century, Fanny Blankers-Koen won four gold medals while pregnant with her third child
July 31, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Document Deep Dive: A Peek at the Last Time London Hosted the Olympics
Records at the National Archives in London show how organizers cobbled together the 1948 "Austerity" Games
July 31, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Is This the Oldest Cave Art on the Planet?
Underneath a massive rock slab which rests on dozens of narrow stilts researchers have found the world's oldest stone axe, and a vast collection of painted artwork.
July 30, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
How China Will Beat the US in Olympic Medals
How to tell which countries will take home more bling, and why weight lifting matters.
July 30, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
Army Women To Get New (Non-Comic Book) Armor
The Army has announced that they are designing body armor specifically tailored to women's bodies.
July 26, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
If Syria Uses Chemical Weapons, Here’s How They’ll Work
Amidst the turmoil of an ongoing civil war, Syrian President al-Assad has been threatening to use chemical weapons if faced with international intervention.
July 26, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
