National Museum of Natural History Blog

Smithsonian Voices

Discover Why Animals Need the Dark and Other Natural History Programs This April

Stream programs about the ever-brightening sky, the dawn of technology and visit the National Museum of Natural History for a book signing.

Emma Saaty | April 7, 2023

Smithsonian Scientists Discover One of the Earliest Mammal Ancestors That Ate Its Veggies

The new finding pushes the first signs of tetrapod herbivory back millions of years

Jack Tamisiea | April 5, 2023

Peer Through the Glare to Glimpse the Night Sky in New Smithsonian Exhibition

‘Lights Out’ explores how ecology and culture revolve around the night and how light pollution is threatening this essential darkness

Jack Tamisiea | March 23, 2023

A Bounty of Butterflies Arrives at the Smithsonian

Entomologist Floyd Shockley drove across the country to pick up a premier butterfly and moth collection

Jack Tamisiea | March 14, 2023

Meet the Smithsonian Scientist Studying the Mysterious Mongolian Deer Stones

Archaeologist William Fitzhugh has spent the past two decades documenting carved stone monoliths in the Mongolian countryside to uncover the secrets of an elusive ancient culture

Emma Saaty | March 9, 2023

Explore Viral Bat Research and More Natural History Programs This March

Tune in to programs about the original paleo diet, an environmental film festival and more at the National Museum of Natural History.

Emma Saaty | March 3, 2023

Meet the Smithsonian Scientist Venturing to Volcanoes to Understand the Origins of Earth’s Surface

Elizabeth Cottrell collects rocks and analyzes samples in the lab to help reveal what makes Earth so unique

Jack Tamisiea | February 28, 2023

In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt Won a Presidential Election…And a Pair of Ostriches

For President’s Day, learn the story behind the giant birds sent to Washington to celebrate Roosevelt’s reelection

Jack Tamisiea | February 20, 2023

Five Facts About the Smithsonian’s Sprawling Whale Collection That Will Blow Your Mind

This World Whale Day, take a look inside of the National Museum of Natural History’s whale bone repository

Emma Saaty | February 17, 2023

In an aerial shot of the desert, a dry lakebed is surrounded by swaths of white salt flats.

Clay-Encrusted Microbes Provide Clues to How Early Life Developed on Earth and Potentially Mars

Smithsonian scientists study saline lakes in the Chilean desert to travel back in time to ancient Earth and beyond

Emma Saaty | February 9, 2023