Andrea Michelson

Andrea Michelson

 

Andrea Michelson is a digital intern with Smithsonian magazine. She is currently a senior at Northwestern University, where she studies journalism and global health.

Virtual Travel

Let These Photos Take You on a Peaceful Paddle in Minnesota's Boundary Waters

Venturing into the wilderness for often weeks at a time, nature photographer Dawn LaPointe is used to social distancing

Each year, people need to get a new flu shot to protect against the latest version of the influenza virus, which rapidly mutates. A universal flu vaccine could protect people for life.

As the World Faces One of the Worst Flu Outbreaks in Decades, Scientists Eye a Universal Vaccine

A universal flu vaccine would eliminate the need for seasonal shots and defend against the next major outbreak

Bear Family of Kamchatka

This Photographer Goes to the Ends of the Earth to Capture Rarely Viewed Animals

Roie Galitz considers himself an ambassador for the creatures he photographs, capturing their intimate moments in hopes of inspiring conservation

Illegal cannabis operations often use pesticides excessively, but legal growers are not immune to a sizable environmental impact either.

The Cannabis Industry Is Not as Green as You’d Think

Illegal growers are poisoning California’s forests with pesticides, but even legal weed has a carbon footprint

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2019

These titles are bound to satisfy your cravings for delicious dishes and food knowledge

Bass player Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire performed the group's iconic song "September."

Here’s What NPG Gala Honorees Have to Say About Their Portraits

Likenesses of six American icons including Jeff Bezos, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Frances Arnold join the collections

Female wasp of the newly described species Idris elba (holotype specimen).

Tiny Parasitic Wasp Named After Idris Elba Hijacks Stink Bug Eggs

The wasp genus <em>Idris</em> had only been known to infest spider eggs, until now

The 21 bones of the most complete partial skeleton of a male Danuvius guggenmosi.

New Ancient Ape Species Rewrites the Story of Bipedalism

<i>Danuvius guggenmosi</i>, a “totally new and different” species of ape, would have moved through the trees using its forelimbs and hindlimbs equally

Sometimes the supernatural is more natural than you'd think.

Five Scientific Explanations for Spooky Sensations

What feels like a supernatural presence might actually be vibrations outside of humans’ conscious perception

A Portrait of Berenice Sarmiento Chávez

This Year's Outwin Winners Challenge the Norms of Portraiture

First prize recipient is Hugo Crosthwaite for his stop-motion animation portraying migrant Berenice Sarmiento Chávez

J.D. Salinger (center left with his hand on his chin) on the deck of the M.S. Kungsholm, 1941

Get a Rare Peek Into the Life of Reclusive Writer J.D. Salinger

A new exhibition at the New York Public Library includes never-before-seen photographs, letters and manuscripts

Celebratory events are scheduled November 11 to 18 to wish Bei Bei, the giant panda, a Bon Voyage.

Pandamonium

National Zoo Says Bye Bye to Bei Bei

The giant panda recently turned four years old and will soon move to China to breed

NASA astronauts Christina Koch (left) and Jessica Meir (right).

Watch the First All-Female Spacewalk

Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will exit the International Space Station to replace a power controller that failed last weekend

The Spectacled Flowerpecker

The Spectacled Flowerpecker Is Now Known to Science

First spotted a decade ago, this elusive bird hangs out in the canopy of Borneo’s lowland forests

This interactive map predicts fall foliage changes across the U.S.

This Interactive Map Shows Fall Foliage Predictions Across the U.S.

The tool will help cross-country travelers in search of colorful leaves

American assault troops move up the beachhead from their landing craft in northern France.

Cool Finds

Man Discovers Original D-Day Dispatch Audiotape in Basement

The tape and several other recordings have since been donated to the National D-Day Memorial

The Global Change Environmental Research Wetland spans 173 acres in Edgewater, Maryland.

Marshes Grow Stronger When Faced With Increased Carbon Dioxide

Marsh plants respond to increased CO2 by growing many small stems, creating a denser wetland that may protect against sea level rise

Scientists at the University of Central Florida have modeled a path toward self-sufficiency for one million settlers of Mars over the course of 100 Earth years.

What Will Humans Eat on Mars?

Planetary scientist Kevin Cannon talks about the logistics of feeding a population of one million on the Red Planet

Three green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, on a coral reef, Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Coral Reefs Face the Dual Threats of Ocean Acidification and Erosion

As coral tissues die off, the exposed calcified skeleton becomes vulnerable to organisms that eat away at the dying reefs

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