Smithsonian Magazine | Smithsonian Magazine

What Bonobos Have to Say About Language

A famed researcher's daring investigation into ape communication—and the backlash it has caused

What is the Flu Virus with Pandemic Potential

The findings are a reminder not to forget about seasonal viruses, but also shows that virus surveillance systems work

Beyond the Ballot

Winning the vote for women was a mighty struggle. Securing full liberation for women of color was no less daunting

The Pandemic Gives the Louvre Back to Parisians

With a steep drop in international tourists and new COVID-19 safety measures in place, the most visited museum in the world reopened yesterday

The Accidental Invention of the Slip ‘N Slide

A young boy's summer antics 60 years ago inspired his father to create the timeless backyard water toy

What Is Pooled Testing?

Placing swabs from multiple individuals in a single test gets more people diagnosed using fewer supplies

Doodlebug Is a Misleading Name for an Accomplished Assassin

The name sounds innocuous, maybe even charming. But it’s also known by another name—the ant lion—and it’s every bit as predatory and remorseless as that name sounds.

What Bonobos Have to Say About Language — What Bonobos Have to Say About Language

A famed researcher's daring investigation into ape communication—and the backlash it has caused

What is the Flu Virus with Pandemic Potential — What is the Flu Virus with Pandemic Potential

The findings are a reminder not to forget about seasonal viruses, but also shows that virus surveillance systems work

Beyond the Ballot — Beyond the Ballot

Winning the vote for women was a mighty struggle. Securing full liberation for women of color was no less daunting

The Pandemic Gives the Louvre Back to Parisians — The Pandemic Gives the Louvre Back to Parisians

With a steep drop in international tourists and new COVID-19 safety measures in place, the most visited museum in the world reopened yesterday

The Accidental Invention of the Slip ‘N Slide — The Accidental Invention of the Slip ‘N Slide

A young boy's summer antics 60 years ago inspired his father to create the timeless backyard water toy

What Is Pooled Testing? — What Is Pooled Testing?

Placing swabs from multiple individuals in a single test gets more people diagnosed using fewer supplies

Doodlebug Is a Misleading Name for an Accomplished Assassin — Doodlebug Is a Misleading Name for an Accomplished Assassin

The name sounds innocuous, maybe even charming. But it’s also known by another name—the ant lion—and it’s every bit as predatory and remorseless as that name sounds.

Books of the Week July 10, 2020 9:00AM

An Uncrowned Tudor Queen, the Science of Skin and Other New Books to Read

July 10, 2020 8:00AM

Mars Had Landslide-Powered Tsunamis That Put Earth's Mega-Waves to Shame

COVID-19 July 9, 2020

Small Farms Find Creative Ways to Attract Visitors During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Word Puzzles

Play the Smithsonian Magazine Crossword: July/August Issue

Smithsonian Voices July 9, 2020

Ending the Use of Racist Mascots and Images

July 9, 2020

What to Know About the Three Mars Missions Launching in July

History of Now July 9, 2020

In St. Louis, History and Nostalgia Battle It Out

July 2020

Secretary Lonnie Bunch: Learning From Americans' Past Ordeals

July 8, 2020

Native Americans and Polynesians Met Around 1200 A.D.

July 2020

Why Is Ivory So Precious? And More Questions From Our Readers

July 2020

How a Black Fireman Brought a Pole Into the Firehouse

July 2020

The TR-808 Drum Machine Changed the Sound of Pop Music Forever

COVID-19 July 2020

Start With a Polaroid, Then Add Disinfectant. Here's the Result

July 2020

A Snapshot of Life in America in 1981

July 2020

How the Ice Cream Truck Made Summer Cool

July 2020

Make Thomas Jefferson's Recipe for Ice Cream

Smithsonian Voices July 7, 2020

What Today's Indigenous Potters Are Learning from Ancient Chocolate-Drinking Jars

COVID-19 July 7, 2020

How the Pandemic Is Giving the Louvre Back to Parisians

COVID-19 July 7, 2020

How COVID-19 Will Change the Way We Fight Wildfires

July 7, 2020

How Northern Publishers Cashed In on Fundraising for Confederate Monuments

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Cool Finds

New Research Suggests Humans Invented String at Least 120,000 Years Ago

July 10, 2020 10:13AM

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Hummingbirds Learn to Count to Find Their Favorite Flowers

July 10, 2020 7:30AM

Volcanic Island's Explosive Growth Creates New Land

July 10, 2020 7:00AM

Tesla's Patents, Einstein's Letters and an Enigma Machine Are Up for Auction

Researchers Digitally Reconstruct Thomas Becket's Razed Canterbury Cathedral Shrine

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Giant Dinosaurs and Pterosaurs May Have Evolved From This Four-Inch-Tall Reptile

The Far-Reaching Consequences of Siberia's Climate-Change-Driven Wildfires

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Snail Shells Date England's Cerne Abbas Giant to Medieval, Not Prehistoric, Era

National Gallery of Art Acquires Its First Painting by a Native American Artist

Experts Aren’t Sure Why Botswana's Elephants Are Dying by the Hundreds

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