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Latest Features

The new exhibition “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions” aims to shine a light on the controversial period when the United States intervened in Cuba, Guam, Hawaiʻi, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. (above: President William McKinley, Francisco Oller, 1898, detail).

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

The Overlooked Histories Behind America’s Rise as a World Power

Representative Robert F. Broussard believed hippos imported from Africa would rid Louisiana and Florida of the water hyacinths smothering their waterways.

HISTORY

How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers

Humans have been fascinated with mermaids since antiquity, writes columnist Jackie Mansky. The 1914 silent film Neptune's Daughter, featuring champion swimmer and actress Annette Kellerman (above), captured the public imagination.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Return of Mermaidcore

By recording activity of specific neurons in the brain, researchers aim to pick up signals of intended speech.

INNOVATION

The Brain-Computer Interfaces That Could Give Locked-In Patients a Voice

View of the Skagit River, with the Diablo Dam (completed in 1930) visible

HISTORY

On This Disputed River, Progress May Mean a Return to the Past

A mural of Bob Dylan by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra is on display in downtown Minneapolis.

TRAVEL

Follow Bob Dylan's Footsteps Through Minnesota and New York

At the time it was signed, the Montreal Protocol was seen as a good thing for the planet. A new study shows it was even better than anyone first realized.

SCIENCE

By Fighting the Ozone Hole, We Helped Curb Climate Change

Range anxiety is still a major hurdle for prospective EV buyers.

INNOVATION

What Will It Take to Charge Electric Vehicles Faster?

Current Issue

Smithsonian magazine June 2023 issue cover

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1.

Air & Space Magazine

The First Space Ace

F-15 vs. Satellite

2.

Smart News

See the Titanic in Stunning Detail With New 3D Scan

Researchers collected 16 terabytes of data to create the very first full-sized 3D scan of the wreckage

3.

Smart News

The Real History Behind 'Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'

The new spinoff follows the royal matriarch as she falls in love with George III and navigates his worsening mental illness

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Smart News

See 15 Breathtaking Shots From the Close-Up Photographer of the Year Challenge

This themed contest rewarded minimalism, with clean photographs of insects, spiders and plants earning accolades

5.

Smart News

Octopuses May Have Vivid Nightmares, Video Suggests

Costello, a male Brazilian reef octopus, had "bizarre" defensive outbursts while sleeping in a lab

Smithsonian Voices
National Museum of American History

MUM’s the Word: Milestone Menstruation Collection Chronicles Women’s Health

Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

In the U.K. and Europe, Romani Theater Tells a Story Beyond 'Smoke and Wagons'

Smithsonian Education

Unpacking the Stories Behind Artist Bisa Butler’s Portrayal of the Harlem Hellfighters

National Museum of the American Indian

What the 1865 Cheyenne Arapaho Treaty Represents About the United States' Broken Promises to Native Americans

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

Reach for the Stars With Sally Ride This Thursday

National Museum of American History

Celebrating Pride Month, Flag Day and More, Check Out these June Happenings

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Special Report
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The Future of Mental Health

Smithsonian magazine brings you stories about the latest advancements in treatments and understanding of mental illness

View Full Report

Featured Stories

Beginning in Mid-July, Dial 988 for the Mental Health Hotline

Should Parents Worry About New Research Linking Kids’ Mental Health and Individual Sports?

Kids as Young as Eight Years Old Should Be Screened for Anxiety, Task Force Says

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Smithsonian Channel

Preview thumbnail for video 'A Baby Seal's First Solo Venture Into the Water

A Baby Seal's First Solo Venture Into the Water

Play
Preview thumbnail for video 'A Rare Pair of Chicks for the Exotic and Endangered Takahe

A Rare Pair of Chicks for the Exotic and Endangered Takahe

Preview thumbnail for video 'Unfathomable Cruelty at the Heart of Hitler’s Russian Invasion

Unfathomable Cruelty at the Heart of Hitler’s Russian Invasion

Photo of the day

The view from the High Line looks onto the terrace of the Whitney Museum. Visitors at the Whitney

History

Representative Robert F. Broussard believed hippos imported from Africa would rid Louisiana and Florida of the water hyacinths smothering their waterways.

How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers

In 1910, a failed House bill sought to increase the availability of low-cost meat by importing hippopotamuses that would be killed to make "lake cow bacon"

An overhead view shows the full layout of the 3,000-year-old bakery.

Archaeologists in Armenia Unearth a Bakery—Complete With 3,000-Year-Old Flour

A portrait of Prince Alemayehu in July 1868

Buckingham Palace Refuses to Repatriate Remains of Ethiopian Prince

Science

A Babylonian clay model dated to 1800 B.C.E. shows a nude couple on a couch engaged in sex and kissing.

Humanity’s First Recorded Kiss Was Earlier Than We Thought

Ancient texts suggest romantic smooching, and likely the diseases it transmitted, were widespread in Mesopotamia

The bathysphere on deck of the Ready, 1930-1934, from Bathysphere and Nonsuch

Inside the First Deep-Sea Dive in History

An artistic rendering of the newly discovered LP 791-18 d exoplanet

Newly Discovered Exoplanet May Be Covered in Volcanoes

Innovation

An experimental "peanut patch" could help ease stress in families of young children with allergies.

A Skin Patch Could Help Allergic Toddlers Tolerate Peanuts

Some young children with allergies could eat low doses of peanuts without a severe reaction after wearing the patch for a year in a clinical trial

Using stereo cameras and lidar, EELS is able to create a 3D map of its surroundings, understanding the environment before navigating through it.

NASA's Snake-Like Robot Could Look for Life on an Icy Saturn Moon

The Neo P1 starts at $179, roughly five to ten times the price of a normal pothos plant.

Could Genetically Modified Houseplants Clean the Air in Your Home?

Arts & Culture

Humans have been fascinated with mermaids since antiquity, writes columnist Jackie Mansky. The 1914 silent film Neptune's Daughter, featuring champion swimmer and actress Annette Kellerman (above), captured the public imagination.

The Return of Mermaidcore

For a century, a collective love of tails and fins has helped women transgress on land and sea

A mural of Bob Dylan by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra is on display in downtown Minneapolis.

Follow Bob Dylan's Footsteps Through Minnesota and New York

Tina Turner performing in Illinois in 1987

Tina Turner, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, Left an Indelible Mark on Music History

Travel

Among the entrants in the punishing race on the Yukon River was a kayaking duo from New Zealand known as the Keen Kiwis.

The World’s Most Grueling Race Journeys 1,000 Miles Down the Yukon

In a test of skill and courage, competitors navigate dangerous river rapids, narrow channels and rummaging bears in the wilds of Alaska and Canada

The Big Four Bridge crosses the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Airbnb Names the Top Trending Destinations for Summer 2023

While river tubing is prominent from coast to coast, some spots stand out for their scenery.

Seven Perfect Summer Spots for Tubing in the United States

At the Smithsonian

The new exhibition “1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions” aims to shine a light on the controversial period when the United States intervened in Cuba, Guam, Hawaiʻi, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. (above: President William McKinley, Francisco Oller, 1898, detail).

The Overlooked Histories Behind America’s Rise as a World Power

The National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition addresses the War of 1898, a pivotal but often forgotten period in history

Did lions once live in ancient Greece?

Did Lions Live in Ancient Greece? And More Questions From Our Readers

Christopher Heckscher, ornithologist by day and firefly hunter by night, at work in the Nanticoke Wildlife Area, Delaware.

The Illuminating Science Behind Fireflies