Smithsonian Magazine | Smithsonian Magazine

Charlotte Cushman: Method Actress Pioneer

In the role of a lifetime, the queer performer was one of the first practitioners of 'method' acting

Brain Gene Tops List for Making Humans, Human

In a study involving marmosets, a primate genetically similar to humans, researchers have come closer to understanding brain evolution

Frederick Douglass on Monuments

In a newly discovered letter, the famed abolitionist wrote that ‘no one monument could be made to tell the whole truth'

Seven Places to Get Outside This Summer

From Alaska to Florida, these spots offer fresh air and ample space for social distancing

The Geography of Protest

Cities' geography can aid, underscore or discourage a movement's success

‘Joker’ Spider Named After Joaquin Phoenix

Loureedia phoenixi’s bold red and white abdomen inspired the researchers’ homage

The Secret World of Animal Sleep: Asleep on the Wing

When birds need sleep, they do it on the fly--quite literally. They're able to enter a special kind of half-sleep state that lets them rest midair, which is especially important if you're a migratory bird, like the Alpine swift, clocking thousands of miles at a time. Glide into the astounding world of avian sleep

Charlotte Cushman: Method Actress Pioneer — Charlotte Cushman: Method Actress Pioneer

In the role of a lifetime, the queer performer was one of the first practitioners of 'method' acting

Brain Gene Tops List for Making Humans, Human — Brain Gene Tops List for Making Humans, Human

In a study involving marmosets, a primate genetically similar to humans, researchers have come closer to understanding brain evolution

Frederick Douglass on Monuments — Frederick Douglass on Monuments

In a newly discovered letter, the famed abolitionist wrote that ‘no one monument could be made to tell the whole truth'

Seven Places to Get Outside This Summer — Seven Places to Get Outside This Summer

From Alaska to Florida, these spots offer fresh air and ample space for social distancing

The Geography of Protest — The Geography of Protest

Cities' geography can aid, underscore or discourage a movement's success

‘Joker’ Spider Named After Joaquin Phoenix — ‘Joker’ Spider Named After Joaquin Phoenix

Loureedia phoenixi’s bold red and white abdomen inspired the researchers’ homage

The Secret World of Animal Sleep: Asleep on the Wing — The Secret World of Animal Sleep: Asleep on the Wing

When birds need sleep, they do it on the fly--quite literally. They're able to enter a special kind of half-sleep state that lets them rest midair, which is especially important if you're a migratory bird, like the Alpine swift, clocking thousands of miles at a time. Glide into the astounding world of avian sleep

July 2, 2020

The Accidental Invention of the Slip ‘N Slide

Women Who Shaped History July 2020

Recreating a Suffragist's Barnstorming Tour Through the American West

July 2, 2020

How Much Pressure Is at Earth’s Center and Other Questions From Our Readers

Word Puzzles

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: For 'Seasoned' Solvers

Virtual Travel July 2, 2020

Make These Eight Famous Cocktails From Bars Around the World

July 2, 2020

Before Chain Letters Swept the Internet, They Raised Funds for Orphans and Sent Messages From God

July 1, 2020

How Do Native Americans Observe the Fourth of July?

July 1, 2020

A Submerged 7,000-Year-Old Discovery Shows the Great Potential of Underwater Archaeology

July 1, 2020

Created 150 Years Ago, the Justice Department’s First Mission Was to Protect Black Rights

July 2020

These Portraits Revisit the Legacies of Famous Americans

June 30, 2020

What Frederick Douglass Had to Say About Monuments

June 30, 2020

Eight Online Exhibits to See Right Now on Black History, Racism and Protest

Smithsonian Voices June 30, 2020

The Great American Road Trip and 20 Other Smithsonian Associates Events Streaming in July

LGBTQ+ Pride June 30, 2020

Charlotte Cushman Broke Barriers on Her Way to Becoming the A-List Actress of the 1800s

COVID-19 June 29, 2020

Seven Places to Get Outside This Summer—and the Environmental Heroes to Thank for Them

June 29, 2020

Is It Time to Recognize Frames as an Independent Art Form?

History of Now June 29, 2020

How Urban Design Can Make or Break a Protest

COVID-19 June 29, 2020

The COVID-19 Slowdown Will Show Whether Quieter Seas Help Killer Whales

June 2010

How Milton Glaser Came to Design the Iconic Poster of Bob Dylan

June 27, 2020

National Zoo Mourns Beloved Member of Its Herd

More Recent Stories »

SmartNews Keeping you current

New Research

Why Did the Maya Abandon the Ancient City of Tikal?

Paris Exhibition Recreates Pompeii's Final Hours

New Research

Flying Snakes Need to Wriggle Through the Air to Glide

New Research

Fish Eggs Can Survive a Journey Through Both Ends of a Duck

Watch This Mesmerizing Time-Lapse of the Sun’s Last Decade

Renovations at Historic York Guildhall Reveal Human Remains, Roman Artifacts

Roadkill Reduced During Lockdowns, but Traffic Is Increasing Again

Scientists Propose a New Name for Nature in the Time of COVID-19: The 'Anthropause'

Record-Breaking Lightning Bolts Spark Excitement

Archaeologists Unearth 16th-Century Children's Cemetery in Poland

Early Residents of the Pacific Northwest Smoked Smooth Sumac

Newly Discovered Portrait May Be Oldest Known Image of Māori Person

More SmartNews Stories »

History

girl on slip n slide resize

Science

Innovation

girl on slip n slide resize

Featured Videos

This Burial Site Near Stonehenge Was Packed With Arrows

Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards 2019: Lil Nas X

Why Plague Doctors Wore Strange Masks

Subscribe

Save 84% off the newsstand price!

First & Last Name

Last Name

First Name

Address 1

Address 2

City / State

City

State

Zip

Email Address

Enter your email address