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Science
Passage to the Pleistocene
At a site known as Natural Trap Cave, a team of scientists are rappelling down to uncover the secrets of what the Earth was like during the Pleistocene
Journey Into a Prehistoric Cave That Trapped and Entombed Animals for Millennia
The animals that plummeted 85 feet into Wyoming’s Natural Trap Cave provide a layered history of life dating back to the Pleistocene
Smart News
This Long-Lost Landscape Painted by a Teenage J.M.W. Turner Was Found Hiding in Plain Sight
See the First-Ever Direct Images of the Sun’s South Pole, Captured by the Solar Orbiter Spacecraft
Manet Cut This Painting in Half 150 Years Ago. Now, the Two Sides Are Back Together for a Rare Reunion
Rare Mountain Lion Kittens Spotted on Trail Cameras Suggest the Big Cats May Be Reestablishing a Population in Oklahoma
Axolotls May Hold the Key to Regrowing Limbs, and Scientists Are Unraveling Their Secrets to Help Humans Do the Same
Latest Features
Science
Balancing the Scales
The mammals’ return to the region represented a conservation success story, but their appetite for endangered fish is upsetting the balance of a delicate ecosystem
Travel
The Bittersweet Beginnings of Vanilla
A journey to the remote Indian Ocean island reveals the story behind the fragrant, delicious, ubiquitous spice—and the enslaved youth who made it a commercial success
Most Popular
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Special Report
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America’s 250th Anniversary
To mark the 250th anniversary of America’s founding on July 4, 1776, Smithsonian magazine is highlighting the people, places and events that shaped the United States’ fight for independence from Great Britain
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Photo of the Day
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Stallion Of the West
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Podcast
Smithsonian Podcast: There’s More to That
Smithsonian magazine covers history, science and culture in the way only it can — through a lens on the world that is insightful and grounded in richly reported stories. In There’s More to That, meet the magazine’s journalists and hear how they discover the forces behind the biggest issues of our time.
Latest Episodes
The Joys of Discovering the Roman Underground, From the Colosseum to What’s Beneath the Trevi Foundation
May 15, 2025 | 21 minutes
History
Yemen’s Al-Qahira Castle Survived Centuries of War and Neglect. Can It Survive Its Own Restoration?
With funding for preserving the historic site in jeopardy, local officials are wondering what will come next for the 800-year-old structure
Science
Why Have Birds Never Gotten as Big as T. Rex?
Even the most massive birds have never reached the sizes of their dinosaur relatives
Innovation
This 14-Year-Old Built an App That Detects Heart Diseases in Seconds
Siddarth Nandyala wants to put his tool in the hands of medical professionals so that they can catch cardiovascular abnormalities in their early stages
Travel
The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2025
From a barbecue capital in Texas to the site of the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War in New York, these spots are worthy of a visit this year
Arts & Culture
Why the World Became So Obsessed With William Morris’ Colorful Floral Prints
The British artist’s designs appear on mugs, plates, shoes and more. A new exhibition explores how his signature style became so ubiquitous—and how Morris would feel about his 21st-century legacy
At the Smithsonian
These 11 Marble Sculptures of Iconic Artists Once Decorated One of America’s First Art Museums. What Happened to Them?
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was adorned with the statues, commissioned in the late 1800s. But since then, they’ve changed hands many times and finally found their way back to each other in a botanical garden