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Latest Features

The Canary Islands are a hotspot for critically endangered angelsharks (Squatina squatina), perhaps lured by the artificial beaches that provide safe havens for juveniles.

TRAVEL

This Engineered Beach Is Good for Endangered Sharks and Tourists

When 72-year-old Boucher gave his age as 48 to an army doctor, the man smiled and said, “And then some, like myself.”

HISTORY

The 72-Year-Old Who Lied About His Age to Fight in World War I

The goal of naming different species is to make sure scientific names are uniform across different fields and research labs.

SCIENCE

Why Some Scientists Want to Stop Naming Organisms After People

At the Mosul Cultural Museum, the Lion of Nimrud is being carefully restored (above: the cuneiform text on the figure is realigned and rejoined) as world organizations lend support to restore a city that has long stood at the heart of Western civilization.

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Mosul Cultural Museum to Reopen in 2026

Sassafras leaves begin to grow. Both 19th-century Ohio farmer Thomas Mikesell and current Ohio State University ecologist Kellen Calinger-Yoak recorded important details about the plant.

SCIENCE

What a 19th-Century Farmer’s Forgotten Notes Reveal About Growing Seasons

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

Current Issue

Smithsonian magazine June 2023 issue cover

Most Popular

1.

History

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"

2.

Smart News

The U.S. Is Giving Away Lighthouses for Free

While they are no longer a navigational necessity, the guiding lights have histories worth preserving

3.

Smart News

Eagle Who Thought Rock Was an Egg Finally Gets to Be a Dad

A lucky coincidence has given Murphy the opportunity to nurture an eaglet of his own

4.

Smart News

Nepal Won't Move the Mount Everest Base Camp for Now, Despite Risks

The camp is growing more dangerous with climate change and human activity, but it’s an ideal location for keeping hikers safe from falling ice

5.

History

Who Was J.W. Boucher, the 72-Year-Old Who Lied About His Age to Fight in World War I?

A Civil War veteran, John William Boucher was one of the oldest men on the ground during the Great War

Smithsonian Voices
Smithsonian Associates

Hokusai’s Career in Prints and More Programs in June

Earth Optimism

Meet Some Small Creatures That Have Big Impacts on Our Ecosystems

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

See All

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

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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

- Country Love Birds

History

When 72-year-old Boucher gave his age as 48 to an army doctor, the man smiled and said, “And then some, like myself.”

The 72-Year-Old Who Lied About His Age to Fight in World War I

A Civil War veteran, John William Boucher was one of the oldest men on the ground during the Great War

The Charterhouse Warren site in Somerset, England, in 1972. Researchers detected the DNA of plague-causing bacteria in the 4,000-year-old remains of two people found there.

4,000-Year-Old DNA Is the Oldest Evidence of Plague in Britain

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

Science

Sassafras leaves begin to grow. Both 19th-century Ohio farmer Thomas Mikesell and current Ohio State University ecologist Kellen Calinger-Yoak recorded important details about the plant.

What a 19th-Century Farmer’s Forgotten Notes Reveal About Growing Seasons

The documents provide evidence of climate change's effect on hardwood trees in Ohio

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.

By Fighting the Ozone Hole, We Helped Curb Climate Change

In an open woodland, Morotopithecus bishopi climbs a tree with an infant on its back and a juvenile below.

Early Apes Lived on Savannas, Not in Forests

Innovation

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

What Will It Take to Charge Electric Vehicles Faster?

To get more EVs on the road, these scientists are working to charge a car in the same time that it takes to fuel up at a gas station

Turkish world-record-holding free-diver Sahika Ercumen swims amid plastic waste on June 27, 2020, to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

Scientists Discover Microbes That Could Revolutionize Plastic Recycling

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

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

Arts & Culture

This seascape, originally thought to be the work of John Constable, will be featured in the new exhibition.

Every Piece in This Exhibition Is a Fake

A new show at London's Courtauld Gallery will explore the value of counterfeit art

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

At the Mosul Cultural Museum, the Lion of Nimrud is being carefully restored (above: the cuneiform text on the figure is realigned and rejoined) as world organizations lend support to restore a city that has long stood at the heart of Western civilization.

Mosul Cultural Museum to Reopen in 2026

Travel

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

To mark the musician's 82nd birthday, consider a romp through these 11 sites that hold meaning to him

The Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Light is one of ten lighthouses the U.S. government is giving away this year.

The U.S. Is Giving Away Lighthouses for Free

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

At the Smithsonian

At the Mosul Cultural Museum, the Lion of Nimrud is being carefully restored (above: the cuneiform text on the figure is realigned and rejoined) as world organizations lend support to restore a city that has long stood at the heart of Western civilization.

Mosul Cultural Museum to Reopen in 2026

Traveling to the ancient Iraqi city, the Smithsonian’s ambassador at large reports on the international efforts to aid recovery

The new baby western lowland gorilla, which was born on May 27.

See the Endangered Gorilla Born at the National Zoo

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