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National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell answers your questions in the second season of the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Dr. Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

What’s Hotter Than the Sun and Other Questions From Our Readers

Find out what’s hotter than the sun, how many active volcanoes are in the United States and which national park is Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell’s favorite in the latest episode of "The Doctor Is In."

Kay Behrensmeyer pioneered the field of taphonomy, or the study of how organisms become fossils. (Smithsonian)

Meet the Scientist Studying How Organisms Become Fossils

In the latest iteration of "Meet a SI-entist," get to know the scientist who pioneered a new scientific field - taphonomy.

Pressed flowers can be used in journals, plant identification booklets and other projects. (Erika Gardner, Smithsonian Institution)

How to Press Plants from Your Backyard

Here’s a guide to help you press plants from your backyard.

The Asian Giant Hornet, Vespa mandarinia, can grow up to two inches long and is a species not native to North America. The National Insect Collection, co-curated by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), houses one of the first specimens collected in North America (Michael Gates, USDA).

Notorious Asian Giant Hornet Finds Home in Smithsonian

Here's why the invasive Asian giant hornet’s identification is actually a scientific success story.

Mount St. Helens in 2018. (USGS)

40 Years After Mount St. Helens, Scientists Make Tiny Eruptions to Study Volcanoes

Meet the scientist who makes and studies tiny volcanic eruptions at the Smithsonian.

Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell answers your questions in the second season of the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Dr. Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

Outdoorsy Volcano Expert Answers Your Questions in Season 2 of ‘The Dr. Is In’

Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell answers your questions about geology, the great outdoors and living off the grid in the second season of the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Dr. Is In.”

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