Helen Thompson

Helen Thompson

 

Helen Thompson writes about science and culture for Smithsonian. She's previously written for NPR, National Geographic News, Nature and others.

Fermented foods, like pickles, may influence social anxiety levels — though it's unclear exactly how and why.

A Pickle a Day May Keep Your Anxiety at Bay

Fermented food appears to calm the nerves of the socially challenged

These 15th-century female musicians are clearly in grave medical danger.

Some 19th-Century Physicians Thought Music Could Infect the Brain

When it comes to music in the brain, medicine has come a long way

Poop or a caterpillar? The giant swallowtail caterpillar is one of a few species that elude birds by pretending to be their poop.

Here Are The Animals That Are the Best at Pretending to Be Poop

Moth caterpillars change their posture to look like bird dung, and they’re not alone

A chimpanzee family in Uganda in 2010.

What Does it Really Mean to Be 99 Percent Chimp?

This video breaks down our statistical similarity to chimpanzees

Some parks, like Assateague National Seashore, have already come up with plans to deal with the effects of climate change and how their visitation rates could shift in response.

How Will Climate Change Affect National Park Attendance?

A new analysis of the effect of global warming on tourism has things heating up in some areas, staying lukewarm in others

Previous analysis of the Kennewick Man's skull suggested that he might be closely related to Asian populations and Polynesians. But new genetic analysis indicates his ancestral roots are in the Americas.

Genome Analysis Links Kennewick Man to Native Americans

Ancient DNA sequenced from the skeleton adds to the controversy over the individual's ancestry

A wildlife camera captured this image of an adult Louisiana black bear foraging in a forest clearing.

Louisiana's Bears Are Making a Comeback

The state thinks the bears are doing well enough to merit removal from protected status. Others disagree

A ward in Carver Hospital in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War. One key innovation during this period was the division of hospitals into wards based on disease.

Six Ways the Civil War Changed American Medicine

150 years ago, the historic conflict forced doctors to get creative and to reframe the way they thought about medicine

South Africans celebrate at a gay pride event outside Johannesburg in 2013. While other countries have passed legislation criminalizing homosexuality, South Africa has advocated tolerance.

Some African Countries Are Trying to Use Science to Make Homophobic Laws, Now African Scientists are Pushing Back

Some African countries have tried to use science to justify laws that criminalize homosexuality

A composite image of the Philae lander on comet 67P.

Comet Lander Philae Wakes Up From Nap

"Are you there, Rosetta? It's me Philae"

A screen shot from a video about how Indo-European languages spread around the globe.

Half of All Languages Come From This One Root Tongue. Here’s How it Conquered the Earth.

Today, three billion people speak Indo-European langauges

Dinosaurs likely weren't around to witness this lovely view from the rim of the Grand Canyon.

Dinosaurs (Probably) Never Saw the Grand Canyon

The canyon likely didn't exist in time to be a hang out for giant lizards

Some sommelier have taken an interest in pairing strains of marijuana with wine varieties.

Which Wine Should You Pair With Your Weed?

Forget the cheese and charcuterie

New research suggests hawkmoths, like the one pictured above, slow down their brain's ability to process light in order to see at night.

Hovering Hawkmoths Slow Down Their Brains to See in the Dark

The insects’ night vision appears to be finely tuned to the movement of their flower food sources

Fear the claw. More often than no, claw machines are likely rigged for you to lose.

Here's How Claw Machines Are Rigged to Make Sure You Lose

That's why simply grabbing a prize is so deceptively difficult

Though still in development, Google's Im2Calorie program can compute the number of calories in a glamor shot of your food.

Google is Trying to Count Calories in Food Porn

All you need is an Instagram photo and an algorithm

Surprise, surprise. The best campfires are as tall as they are wide.

How to Build the Perfect Campfire

Science confirms that the best way to build a campfire really is the best way to build a campfire

Two species of mites make their home in the hair follicles on your face.

Meet the Mites That Live on Your Face

These microscopic organisms live and die on your face

Starting New York Giants catcher John Tortes "Chief" Meyers in an unspecified game against the female team in 1913.

Amateur Women's Baseball Teams Existed as Early as 1866

They typically challenged local a men’s teams to play

French supermarkets are now required to donate food that might normally be thrown away around its sell-by date.

French Government Plans to Fine Grocery Stores That Throw Away Food

New regulations require that markets donate extra food or face fines

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