Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Stories from Margherita Bassi

Researchers have developed a promising new antivenom effective against more than a dozen venemous snake species, according to trials in mice.

Researchers Create a New Antivenom That Can Combat Bites From 17 Snake Species, Trials in Mice Suggest

Snakebites are among the deadliest neglected tropical diseases, and scientists have long been searching for more effective ways to prevent their devastating effects

A supermoon in July 2022

November’s Full Beaver Supermoon Peaks on Wednesday—and It Will Be the Year’s Biggest

Supermoons occur when full moons coincide with the moon’s closest position to Earth in its orbit

The newly discovered carnivorous "death-ball sponge" 

Researchers Discover ‘Death Ball’ Sponge and Dozens of Other Bizarre Deep-Sea Creatures in the Southern Ocean

So far, two expeditions have yielded 30 new species—and researchers say there’s more to come

A silver Argiope spider in a spiderweb with stabilimenta.

These Mysterious ‘Decorations’ in Spiderwebs Might Help Spiders Better Locate Their Prey

Researchers used computer models to simulate if and how these features influence prey affect vibrations of orb-weavers’ webs

New research suggests a genetic dynamic that may have contributed to Neanderthals' extinction.

A Single Gene Could Have Contributed to Neanderthals’ Extinction, Study Suggests

New research posits that a genetic incompatibility between female offspring of humans and Neanderthals and their children could have led to pregnancy complications and the eventual end of the species

A satellite image of Hurricane Melissa arriving in Jamaica

One of the Strongest Hurricanes on Record Pummeled Jamaica and Continues to Wreak Havoc in the Caribbean

The Caribbean’s unusually hot waters allowed Hurricane Melissa to intensify rapidly, officials say

New research reveals that Earth's Northern Hemisphere is growing darker faster than the Southern Hemisphere is.

Earth Is Getting Dimmer—and the Northern Hemisphere Is Losing Brightness Faster Than Scientists Expected

New research challenges the idea that the hemispheres’ matching brightness is a fundamental property of the planet

Two T. rex dinosaurs square up for a fight in an illustration. Dinosaurs in the Cretaceous were thriving until the Chicxulub asteroid initiated a mass extinction.

The Dinosaurs of North America Were Thriving Up Until an Asteroid Wiped Them Off the Face of the Earth, Scientists Argue

A new study of dinosaur biodiversity challenges the belief that the megafauna were on their way out 66 million years ago

Human remains excavated in an ancient well in Croatia were likely those of ancient Roman soldiers, a new study suggests.

Seven Skeletons Found in a Croatian Well Were Likely Ancient Roman Soldiers Who Died During a Troubled Time for the Empire

The tall, adult men probably died during the battle of Mursa in 260 C.E., according to a new analysis of their remains

One of the finalists, titled "I Just Can't Wait to be King," captures lions appearing to sing.

See This Year’s Hilarious Finalists From the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, From Gossiping Leopards to Breakdancing Foxes

The 40 shortlisted photographs pair talented nature photography with humorous captures that often rely on clicking the shutter at just the right moment

The mysterious object found in Western Australia may be part of a Chinese rocket, experts suggest.

Miners Discovered a Mysterious Smoking Object in Western Australia. Experts Think It’s Likely Unexpected Space Debris

Some theorize that it’s a piece of a rocket—and part of a growing pile of orbiting space junk

The first hand and foot fossils clearly linked to Paranthropus boisei reveal the human relative could have handled stone tools.

Discovery of First Fossil Hand Linked to P. Boisei Suggests the Bygone Human Relative Could Have Used Tools

A new study sheds light on the enduring mystery of whether our ancient cousins were toolmakers, too

The otter-surfer interaction last Wednesday 

‘Feisty’ Otters Are Once Again Hijacking Surfboards in Santa Cruz

Is the playful otter stealing surfboards a repeat offender?

First-place winner: rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) on a grain of rice

These Beautiful Microscope Photos Capture Tiny Pests, Spores, Sensory Neurons and Sunflower Hairs

Nikon has announced the winners of its 51st annual photomicrography competition

Hematoids can shed light on blood formation during early human development.

Researchers Created Structures That Produced Blood Cells in the Lab—With a Process That Mimics Real Human Embryos

The advance could carry significant implications for studying blood diseases and early human development

A radio image of two black holes orbiting each other in Quasar OJ287. The light comes from the glowing gas surrounding the black holes and the particle jets being emitted.

Researchers Just Revealed the First-Ever Image of Two Black Holes Orbiting Each Other

A new study may visually solve an enduring mystery about a bright object that’s been studied since the 19th century

A male and female olive baboon

Research Sheds Light on Why Women Live Longer Than Men—and Why This Pattern Will Likely Continue

Scientists studied hundreds of mammal and bird species to shed light on sex-based lifespan differences

Researchers equipped the bats with "backpacks" filled with monitoring instruments.

This Chilling Recording Reveals Large Bats Catching, Killing and Eating Birds Midflight

The data answers an enduring question about the greater noctule bat

Conness Glacier.

By 2100, Humans Might See a Glacier-Free Sierra Nevada for the First Time Ever

A new study suggests some glaciers have existed on the California mountain range for the entirety of known human history in North America

Highlighted engravings at Jebel Misma. 

Researchers Discover 12,000-Year-Old Life-Size Animal Engravings in Saudi Arabia

The findings address an important gap in the region’s archaeological record and history

Page 9 of 24