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Latest Features

Few epitomized 1970s cool like Richard Roundtree in Shaft.

ARTS & CULTURE

'Shaft,' 'Super Fly' and the Birth of Blaxploitation

The 'Ubeidiya site today is an expanse of grasses. Concealed from this view are slabs of fossilized pebbly clay, a source of ancient finds that have helped scholars learn about the journeys of Homo erectus.

SCIENCE

What Drove Homo Erectus Out of Africa?

Tinker Hatfield’s game-changing design for the Air Jordan XIII in pen and crayon, dated 1996.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

What Made the Air Jordan a Slam-Dunk Design

Attorney, author, scholar and reverend Pauli Murray, pictured here on December 22, 1976

HISTORY

The Trailblazing, Multifaceted Activism of Lawyer-Turned-Priest Pauli Murray

A rainbow appears after a storm on the faux-Martian habitat.

SCIENCE

Inside the Experiment to Create Mars on Earth

The timbers of a 500-year-old ship rest on the floor of the Baltic Sea. Scholars and divers are studying the legendary wreck.

HISTORY

An Extraordinary 500-Year-Old Shipwreck Is Rewriting the History of the Age of Discovery

The antiviral drug molnupiravir is in Phase 3 trials.

SCIENCE

Seven Important Questions About Covid Antivirals Answered

Almost 75 years after the mobster’s death, an eclectic bunch of enthusiasts continue to chase his memory.

HISTORY

Inside the Global Cult of Al Capone

Current Issue

Smithsonian magazine October 2021 issue cover

Most Popular

1.

History

An Extraordinary 500-Year-Old Shipwreck Is Rewriting the History of the Age of Discovery

In the frigid Baltic Sea, archaeologists probing the surprisingly well-preserved remains of a revolutionary warship are seeing the era in a new way

2.

Smart News

Archaeologists in Israel Unearth Only Known Crusader Encampment

Frankish soldiers camped at the site before the 1187 Battle of Hattin, which ended in a decisive victory for Muslim sultan Saladin

3.

Smart News

New Research Suggests Human-Like Footprints in Crete Date to 6.05 Million Years Ago

The findings could upend scientists' understanding of human evolution—but the paper has proven controversial

4.

Smart News

This New Installation Pulled 20,000 Pounds of Plastic From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The trash collection device dubbed 'Jenny' could help address overwhelming marine plastic pollution

5.

History

The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine

The question was not “Should you eat human flesh?” says one historian, but, “What sort of flesh should you eat?”

Smithsonian Voices
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

Contemporary Glass Art Exhibition Brings Fresh Global Perspectives to the Renwick Gallery

National Zoo

How I Study Elusive Prairie Bobcats

National Museum of American History

Carlos Martinez, Patriot and Philanthropist

National Museum of Natural History

What's Next for the 1.2 Million Prehistoric Fossils Now at Smithsonian

Smithsonian Education

Ten Ready-To-Use Resources for Your Teaching Toolkit

Conservation Commons

A Tweeting Tree and Climate Refugia in This Week's Earth Optimism

See All

Special Report
<p>The Smithsonian's Race and Our Shared Future: Reckoning With Our Racial Past initiative centers on six pillars.</p>

Race in America

To mark the Smithsonian's multi-year initiative, Our Shared Future: Reckoning With Our Racial Past, which will confront the history and legacy of race and racism through live and virtual events, pop-up exhibitions, digital resources, and other offerings, Smithsonian magazine has compiled this collection of relevant coverage.

View Full Report

Secretary Lonnie Bunch on Why the Smithsonian Is Talking About Race

158 Resources for Understanding Systemic Racism in America

The Relationship Between Race and Wellness Has Never Been More Pressing

Missing Caption

Smithsonian Store Fall Book Sale

20% Off All Books Through October 25

Smithsonian Channel

Preview thumbnail for video 'Was the Deepwater Horizon Disaster Preventable?

Was the Deepwater Horizon Disaster Preventable?

Play
Preview thumbnail for video 'This Object in History: Fernandomania

This Object in History: Fernandomania

Preview thumbnail for video 'This Ancient Egyptian Mega-Tomb Is the Largest of Its Kind

This Ancient Egyptian Mega-Tomb Is the Largest of Its Kind

Photo of the day

Traveler. Traveler

History

Attorney, author, scholar and reverend Pauli Murray, pictured here on December 22, 1976

The Trailblazing, Multifaceted Activism of Lawyer-Turned-Priest Pauli Murray

New documentary tells the story of a Black and LGBTQ thinker who helped lay the legal groundwork for fighting gender- and race-based discrimination

Almost 75 years after the mobster&rsquo;s death, an eclectic bunch of enthusiasts continue to chase his memory.

Inside the Global Cult of Al Capone

Adam Driver (left) plays Jacques Le Gris, a French squire accused of raping Marguerite, wife of knight Jean de Carrouges (right, played by Matt Damon).

The True History Behind 'The Last Duel'

Science

The antiviral drug molnupiravir is in Phase 3 trials.

Seven Important Questions About Covid Antivirals Answered

New medicines may stop the virus from replicating so your immune system can fight a few viral soldiers instead of an army

Gigantic and extinct, Steller’s sea cows would have played an important role in shaping their environment.

How Steller's Sea Cows Impacted the Environment They Left Behind

An artist&#39;s concept of NASA&rsquo;s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER.

Five Things to Know About NASA's Lunar Rover 'VIPER'

Innovation

The embryo of a small-spotted catshark, safe inside its egg case, is being raised at the aquarium Oceanogr&agrave;fic Val&egrave;ncia by Associaci&oacute; Lamna, a nonprofit that promotes shark conservation and research. At this stage, the young shark&#39;s gills are still external and it is growing from the sustenance provided in the yolk, visible at the bottom of the egg case.

Biologists Rescue Unborn Baby Sharks at Fish Markets

Scientists are collecting egg cases from recently caught pregnant sharks, raising the babies and releasing them into the wild

An artist&#39;s concept of NASA&rsquo;s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER.

Five Things to Know About NASA's Lunar Rover 'VIPER'

Throughout the project, Beethoven&rsquo;s genius loomed.

How Artificial Intelligence Completed Beethoven's Unfinished Tenth Symphony

Arts & Culture

Singer-songwriter and visual artist Solange has launched a free library of rare works by Black authors, available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis.

Singer and Artist Solange Debuts Free Library of Rare Books by Black Authors

Readers in the U.S. can borrow 50 titles, including collections of poems by Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes and a sci-fi novel by Octavia Butler

Adam Driver (left) plays Jacques Le Gris, a French squire accused of raping Marguerite, wife of knight Jean de Carrouges (right, played by Matt Damon).

The True History Behind 'The Last Duel'

The internationally recognized paper artist Jiyong Chung&nbsp;works in the Korean craft of Joomchi&nbsp;(above: Balance IV, detail), a technique that was born of necessity centuries ago.

Three Craft Artists Share How the Pandemic Has Reshaped Life and Art

Travel

Stretching 4,800 square feet in size, the piece coincides with the United Nations&#39; International Day of the Girl Child initiative and is also part of World Space Week.

A Monumental Portrait of NASA Astronaut Stephanie Wilson Crops Up in Atlanta

The earthwork is the latest in land artist Stan Herd's impressive, decades-spanning portfolio

&quot;As an artist and an art lover,&quot; says the&nbsp;artist Nicolas Party, his site-specific, 829-foot work,&nbsp;Draw the Curtain,&nbsp;&quot;is a way to pay homage&quot; to the many art museums located in Washington, D.C. The Hirshhorn invited Party to help to disguise&nbsp;construction scaffolding as it undergoes a lengthy renovation.

A Peek Behind the Curtain of Hirshhorn's Largest Artwork Ever

The Fleming Villa at GoldenEye.

Follow Ian Fleming's Footsteps Through Jamaica

At the Smithsonian

Tinker Hatfield&rsquo;s game-changing design for the Air Jordan XIII in pen and crayon, dated 1996.

What Made the Air Jordan a Slam-Dunk Design

The world is bonkers for sneakers. This pivotal 1996 concept for basketball superstar Michael Jordan is a big reason why

Attorney, author, scholar and reverend Pauli Murray, pictured here on December 22, 1976

The Trailblazing, Multifaceted Activism of Lawyer-Turned-Priest Pauli Murray

Detail of&nbsp;Ronald N. Sherr&#39;s&nbsp;General Colin Powell,&nbsp;2012, oil on canvas

Colin Powell, First Black Secretary of State, Dies of Covid-19 at 84