How an Unremarkable "Brunch in the Forest" Turned Into the Thanksgiving We Know

Document Deep Dive

W.E.B. Du Bois’ Visionary Infographics Come Together for the First Time in Full Color

Science in the Movies

Fantastic Things We Learned This Year About Fantastic Beasts of the Real World

Innovative Spirit

This Apartment-Size Wind Turbine Makes Use of Gusts Coming From All Directions

Astronomers Discover Second-Closest Known Exoplanet

Women Who Shaped History

Mary Katharine Goddard, the Woman who Signed the Declaration of Independence

Ingenious Minds

AOL Co-Founder Steve Case Talks With Smithsonian Geologist John Grant About the Search for Life on Mars

Scientists Are About to Redefine the Kilogram and Shake Up Our System of Measures

How the First LGBTQ Mariachi Became an Outlet for Advocacy

Stan Lee Helped Shape the Story of What It Is to Be American

History of Now

The History of First Ladies’ Memoirs

A Letter to Stan Lee, Comic Book Legend, Written by One of His Biggest Fans

Why Walking on Legos Hurts More Than Walking on Fire or Ice

New Research

With Humans Out of the Way, Humpbacks Are Flourishing—But So Are Orcas

Ingenious Minds

A Smithsonian Sports Curator Explains How Athletes Turn Social and Political Issues into National Conversations

Three Centuries After His Beheading, a Kinder, Gentler Blackbeard Emerges

Ingenious Minds

The Future Is Bright If More Teens Could Think About High School the Way Kavya Kopparapu Does

A Veteran Combat Photographer Recalls His Most Memorable Shots

Prehistoric Angolan “Sea Monsters” Take Up Residence at the Natural History Museum

How a Photograph Solved an Art Mystery

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Keeping you current

Dutch Company Can’t Copyright the Taste of Its Cheese, E.U. Court Rules

Heatwaves May Dramatically Reduce Insect Fertility

New Research

This Dino-Era Bird Was as Advanced as Modern Species. So Why Did It Disappear?

DNA Analysis Offers Insights on Origins of Extinct Jamaican Monkey

Wes Anderson's Curatorial Debut With Juman Malouf Transforms Vienna Museum Into One of Filmmaker's Dollhouses

How the Los Angeles Zoo Prepares Its Animals to Face Natural Disasters

Deaf Moths May Use Their ‘Fur’ To Avoid Hungry Bats

Cool Finds

Massive Shark Nursery Found Off the West Coast of Ireland

Listen in on Orca Chatter with a New App

Cool Finds

Juno's Latest Photo of Jupiter Is Breathtaking

Soon, the Average Human Will Be Taller, Heavier. That Will Lead to Increased Food Demand

Why This Aretha Franklin Documentary Took 46 Years to Make it to Theaters

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