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Greek Scholar Who Claimed the Moon Was Just a Rock

2,500 years ago, Anaxagoras correctly determined that the rocky moon reflects light from the sun, allowing him to explain lunar phases and eclipses

The Invention of Scotch Tape

College dropout Richard Drew became an icon of 20th century innovation, inventing cellophane tape, masking tape and more

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Arrives on the East Coast

Patients can contract vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or handling infected animals while sporting an open wound

Tour the Tunnels Beneath Rome’s Baths of Caracalla

The newly opened underground network features a brick oven once used to heat the baths' caldarium, as well as a contemporary video art installation

The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker

A leak in a heat pump gave rocket scientist Lonnie Johnson the idea for his powerful squirt gun

Vis-O-Matic Was 1950s Version of Online Shopping

A Canadian department store tried to revolutionize buying when it opened a shop with booths and screens for ordering merchandise

The Wise U.S. Tactic Used to Win the Battle of Midway

For the U.S., the Battle of Midway wasn't just a turning point in the Pacific, it was also a brilliant naval gamble that paid off in spectacular fashion

Greek Scholar Who Claimed the Moon Was Just a Rock — Greek Scholar Who Claimed the Moon Was Just a Rock

2,500 years ago, Anaxagoras correctly determined that the rocky moon reflects light from the sun, allowing him to explain lunar phases and eclipses

The Invention of Scotch Tape — The Invention of Scotch Tape

College dropout Richard Drew became an icon of 20th century innovation, inventing cellophane tape, masking tape and more

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Arrives on the East Coast — Flesh-Eating Bacteria Arrives on the East Coast

Patients can contract vibriosis by eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, or handling infected animals while sporting an open wound

Tour the Tunnels Beneath Rome’s Baths of Caracalla — Tour the Tunnels Beneath Rome’s Baths of Caracalla

The newly opened underground network features a brick oven once used to heat the baths' caldarium, as well as a contemporary video art installation

The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker — The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker

A leak in a heat pump gave rocket scientist Lonnie Johnson the idea for his powerful squirt gun

Vis-O-Matic Was 1950s Version of Online Shopping — Vis-O-Matic Was 1950s Version of Online Shopping

A Canadian department store tried to revolutionize buying when it opened a shop with booths and screens for ordering merchandise

The Wise U.S. Tactic Used to Win the Battle of Midway — The Wise U.S. Tactic Used to Win the Battle of Midway

For the U.S., the Battle of Midway wasn't just a turning point in the Pacific, it was also a brilliant naval gamble that paid off in spectacular fashion

Innovative Spirit June 21, 2019

The Accidental Invention of the Super Soaker

Innovative Spirit June 20, 2019

How the Invention of Scotch Tape Led to a Revolution in How Companies Managed Employees

Innovative Spirit June 20, 2019

'Vis-O-Matic' Was the 1950s Version of Online Shopping

June 20, 2019

An Ancient Greek Philosopher Was Exiled for Claiming the Moon Was a Rock, Not a God

June 19, 2019

These Engaging, Immersive Works Erase the Line Between Art and Audience

Innovative Spirit June 19, 2019

Engineers Built a Robotic Lionfish With an Energetic Bloodstream

June 19, 2019

Sunrise Hiking and 20 Other Things to Do at the Smithsonian in July

LGBTQ+ Pride June 19, 2019

Fifty Years After Stonewall, a Look at the Struggles and Celebrations of LGBTQ Americans

June 19, 2019

The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969

June 18, 2019

You Can Mail a Coconut to Anywhere in the World From This Post Office in Hawaii

June 18, 2019

This Long-Ignored Document, Written by George Washington, Lays Bare the Legal Power of Genealogy

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past June 18, 2019

Prehistoric Hyena’s Teeth Show Bone-Crushing Carnivore Roamed the Arctic

Women Who Shaped History June 17, 2019

The Woman Who Revealed the Missing Link Between Viruses and Cancer

June 17, 2019

After More Than Eight Decades, These Exquisite Whistler Watercolors Make Their Public Debut

June 14, 2019

David Copperfield Welcomes New Citizens With a Magic Show and a History Lesson

June 14, 2019

How the Gut Microbiome Could Provide a New Tool to Treat Autism

June 14, 2019

Meet Juan García Salazar, the Man Who Championed Black Identity in Ecuador

Innovative Spirit June 14, 2019

The Patents Behind Toy Story's Beloved Characters

June 14, 2019

Mr. Smithson’s Family Goes to Washington

June 13, 2019

Our Eyes Are Always Darting Around, So How Come Our Vision Isn't Blurry?

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