A black and white photo of Katherine Johnson sitting at a desk in front of a typewriter and open notebook.

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

New Partnership Illuminates Hidden Record of NASA’s Human Computers

By partnering with Margot Lee Shetterly and the Human Computer Project, the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum is shining a light on the women whose contributions at NASA have been hidden in data and records.

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National Museum of Natural History

National Museum of Natural History Scientists Discover That Ancient Insects Perfected Their Plant Palates 165 Million Years Ago

The findings reveal that insects developed modern patterns of herbivory long before flowering plants flourished, upending a long-held hypothesis

Screenshot of the metadata (left) for a botanical specimen (right). The metadata shows Suzanne Ripley as the Collector.

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

The Challenge of Metadata in Uncovering Women’s History

Metadata is a vital tool for discovering and preserving history. Learn about efforts across the Smithsonian to highlight women’s contributions in American history with accurate metadata in museum collections.

More From Smithsonian Voices
Two hands holding a card with handwritten information. A stack of other handwritten papers is visible on the table below.

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Discoverability Lab Offers New Look at Historical Data and Machine Learning

Explore early experiments to increase the discoverability of women's history at the Smithsonian.

Five screen video installation

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery

A Meditation on the Legacy of Frederick Douglass by Artist and Filmmaker Isaac Julien

Sir Isaac Julien’s moving image installation interweaves period reenactments across five screens to create a vivid picture of nineteenth-century activist, writer, orator, and philosopher Frederick Douglass.

Two people in grass skirts stand on the shore, facing the ocean under an overcast sky.

Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

Shared Experiences Through the Ongoing Virtual Mother Tongue Film Festival

Learn more about the films in the ongoing virtual festival

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Smithsonian Education

A Treasure Trove of Online Education Resources From the National Museum of African American History and Culture Spans Art, Culture, History and Science

Hundreds of PreK-12 teaching and learning resources that support developmentally appropriate skill-building and leverage both well-known and lesser-known stories in American history are freely available online for use in the classroom and at home

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National Museum of Natural History

This Invasive Species Awareness Week, Learn How Museum Researchers Track the Rogue Wildlife Infiltrating American Ecosystems

From a beautiful fish that’s eating the Caribbean to a tiny bivalve with a huge impact, North America’s most notorious introduced species have reshaped the continent’s ecosystems

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Smithsonian Books

The Smithsonian Passport Makes Visiting Washington, D.C. Even More of an Adventure

Track your travels through the nation’s capital with fun stickers in a new adventure passport

Spix's disk-winged bats inside their leaf tube

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Listen Up! Hungry Bats Emit Food Calls to Family and Friends

Spix’s disc-winged bats shrieked when they were first shown mealworms, a new food for them. Were they alarmed, or were they communicating their excitement to their fellow bats?

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National Museum of American History

Mark Your Calendar: Women's History Month, Programs, Jazz and More at the National Museum of American History

This March at the museum, we’re commemorating Women's History Month, airing the end of Season 2 of our podcast, and listening to some jazz. Check out the calendar to find out what’s going on this month!

A black-and-white photograph of an African American male porter holding a suitcase while a white woman steps up into a rail car.

Smithsonian Affiliations

The Railroad Workers Behind the Civil Rights Movement

Pullman porters did more than carry bags, they paved the way for higher education opportunities, the professional working class and the fight for equal rights.

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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Maned Wolf Program at the National Zoo's Research Campus Welcomes Three Pups

The three baby wolves were born this winter at the Smithsonian National Zoo’s conservation and research campus in Front Royal, Virginia.

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Smithsonian Books

Now You Can Fold Planes From the National Air and Space Museum and Watch Them Fly

Check out a new book of paper airplanes inspired by the Smithsonian's collections

Nichelle Nichols

Office of the Secretary of the Smithsonian

How One of the Smithsonian's Newest Museums Is Looking at the Unsung Heroines of American History

Even before it has a home on the Mall, the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum is sharing stories of overlooked pioneers

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National Museum of Natural History

Meet Sylvia Earle, the Trailblazing Marine Biologist Who Has Spent Her Career Giving Algae Their Long-Deserved Due

For International Women and Girls in Science Day, the museum’s Ocean Portal spoke with “Her Deepness” about science, seaweed and the planet’s future

A five by two grid showing ten images from ten movies that will be showcased at the festival. In the top left corner, the Mother Tongue Film Festival logo boasts red and cream colors.

Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage

Don’t Miss the First Hybrid Mother Tongue Film Festival

Celebrate ten years of the festival with ten days of free programming

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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

How Are Animals Paired at the National Zoo?

Get ready for Valentine’s Day by learning how zoo matchmakers use science to “swipe right” for conservation.

A person sculpts a clay bust. Two additional sculptures appear in the background.

Smithsonian Associates

Discover Online and In-Person Art Classes from Smithsonian Associates

Add a creative spark to your spring with hands-on arts classes taught by professional artists

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Smithsonian Books

Five Smithsonian Objects to Honor Black History Month

Learn Black history with these objects from the National Museum of African American History and Culture