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National Museum of Natural History

Scientists plan to piece together the genetic code of all plants, animals, fungi and protists within the next ten years as part of the Earth BioGenome Project.

Scientists to Read DNA of All Eukaryotes in 10 Years

Researchers at the Smithsonian and around the world are working to sequence the genomes of every eukaryotic species on Earth in the next 10 years through the Earth BioGenome Project.

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

How Do Volcanologists Predict Eruptions and Other Questions From Our Readers

In this week's episode, find out which state is the best for collecting rocks, what to use when you’re out of toilet paper in the wild and how volcanologists predict eruptions using gas emissions.

Joshua Bell is the curator of globalization at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. He is working on a new exhibit about the global history of cellphones. (Smithsonian)

Meet the Scientist Studying How Cellphones Change Societies

In this month's "Meet a SI-entist," we will introduce you to the scientist studying the global history of cellphones.

The neotropical rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus, inhabits at least 11 South American countries. This species of viper is widespread and thrives in dry climates. (Carla da Silva Guimarães)

Viper’s DNA Reveals Ancient Map of South America

Although vipers are famous for their venomous bites, it turns out these snakes have another story to tell.

The Chaco Canyon chocolate-drinking jars have a distinct shape, with connections to similarly shaped Mayan vessels. After testing distinguishable jar fragments from an excavated trash pile in in the canyon, archaeologists determined all of the drinking jars were used to consume cacao. (A336494, A336499, A336493, James Di Loreto, Smithsonian)

What Chocolate-Drinking Jars Tell Indigenous Potters Now

These chocolate-drinking jars are living proof of a dynamic pottery-making tradition that continues in descendant tribes of the Chaco Canyon Puebloans today.

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

How Much Pressure is at Earth’s Center and Other Questions From Our Readers

Find out how much pressure is at the Earth’s center, what is Cottrell’s favorite thing about rocks and where she likes to hike in the latest episode of the National Museum of Natural History's popular YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Staring into the mouth of flooded cave passages on the islands of the Turks and Caicos. Hidden cave pools are illuminated by dive lights and photo flash. (Joost Daniels, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)

Scientists Brave One of the Darkest Places on Earth for Rare Predatory Worm

Smithsonian marine scientist Brett Gonzalez spent 10 days exploring the flooded caves of the Turks and Caicos in search of a rare predatory scale worm.

The National Museum of Natural History’s Lepidoptera collection holds up to half of the world's species of hawk moths, important pollinators for many wild ecosystems. There are over 1450 species of hawk moths in total on Earth. (Smithsonian)

Why Hawk Moths are the Underdogs of the Pollinator World

Hawk moths are the underdog pollinators that sustain countless populations of plants around the world.

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

Which Volcano Spews Colder Lava and Other Questions From Our Readers

Check out the latest episode of the National Museum of Natural History's popular YouTube series "Doctor is In."

As the ocean continues to warm, scientists look to the past for answers on how to manage today’s environmental problems. (Sophie McCoy/NOAA)

Get to Know the Scientist Reconstructing Past Ocean Temperatures

Meet the scientist reconstructing past ocean temperatures to solve today's environmental problems.

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.”

Some of the most exciting discoveries in human evolution happened in the last decade. (Human Origins Program, Smithsonian Institution)

These are the Decade’s Biggest Discoveries in Human Evolution

Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Smithsonian’s “David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins” with some of the biggest discoveries in human evolution from the last 10 years.

Mangroves line a channel connecting the Belize River to the coastal lagoon system. These trees are hundreds of years old and provide important habitat to both terrestrial and marine species. (Steve Canty, Smithsonian Marine Station)

Together, We Can Save the Mangroves

Scientists hope to save mangroves with global collaboration.

Karen Osborn, invertebrate zoologist and curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, uses photography to help people connect with the hard-to-see marine animals she studies, like this deep-sea jellyfish (Voragonema pedunculata). (Karen Osborn, Smithsonian)

Why Science Needs Art

From teaching curious museumgoers to adding creativity to the scientific process, art is an essential component of the science done at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Sabrina Sholts is the curator of biological anthropology at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. (Paul Fetters, Smithsonian)

Get to Know the Scientist Studying Ancient Pathogens at the Smithsonian

Check out what an ancient pathogen expert does at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

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