National Museum of Natural History Blog

Smithsonian Voices

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s megalodon model is a 52-foot-long female based on a set of teeth discovered in the Bone Valley Formation in Florida. (Smithsonian Institution)

Megalodon May Be Extinct, but There’s a Life-size One at the Smithsonian

A 52-foot, life-size model of a <i>Carcharocles megalodon</i> shark is now on display in the National Museum of Natural History's newly opened dining facilities.

Erin I. Garcia de Jesus | July 29, 2019

The Smithsonian’s new fossil hall includes myriad stories and details – big and small – about Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history. (Smithsonian Institution)

Five Things You Shouldn’t Miss in the New Fossil Hall

Here's what the experts behind "Deep Time" don't want you to miss.

Erin I. Garcia de Jesus | July 18, 2019

Visitors enter the Smithsonian’s new fossil hall for the first on June 8 when it reopened after being closed for a five-year renovation. (Smithsonian Institution)

How Exhibit Writers Tackled Earth’s 4.6 Billion Year History in ‘Deep Time’

Exhibition writer, Angela Roberts Reeder, shares what it took to write the script for the new "David H. Koch Hall of Fossils - Deep Time," now open at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Angela Roberts Reeder | July 10, 2019

Miniature dinosaurs are staged in a scene from 150 million years ago while guests peruse another display showing the same species at full-size. (Smithsonian Institution)

The Experts Behind the New Fossil Hall Wrap Their Minds Around ‘Deep Time’

The team behind the Smithsonian's new dinosaur and fossil hall reflect on what "deep time" means to them.

Erin I. Garcia de Jesus | July 5, 2019

Smithsonian paleontologist, Hans Sues, answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s Deep Time YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

The Dr. Is In: Who Would Win in a Duel - T. rex or Stegosaurus - and Other Questions From Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Anna Torres | June 28, 2019

The Dr. Is In: Is Dimetrodon a Dinosaur and Other Questions from Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Anna Torres | June 19, 2019

The Dr. Is In: What Is the Smallest Known Dinosaur and Other Questions from Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Anna Torres | June 7, 2019

The Dr. Is In: What Did Stegosaurus Eat and Other Questions from Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Anna Torres | May 24, 2019

Education Specialist Gale Robertson helps museum visitors test prototypes of hands-on activities that will be in “The David H. Koch Hall of Fossils—Deep Time” when it opens June 8 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. (Smithsonian Institution)

Try These Hands-on Activities in the Smithsonian’s New Fossil Hall

Hands-on activities at the Smithsonian teach visitors about the history of life on Earth and what it means to us today.

Amy Bolton | May 23, 2019

Last summer, I brought my son, Toby, with me on a field work trip to Kenya for the first time. It wasn’t easy but I’m glad I did it and would definitely do it again. (Briana Pobiner, Smithsonian Institution)

How to Balance Motherhood and a STEM Career

Smithsonian paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner shares tips for balancing motherhood and a STEM career.

Briana Pobiner | May 12, 2019

Postcard of the Smithsonian Institution Castle sent in 1939 from my mom in Washington, D.C. to my uncles in Casper, Wyoming—nearly 80 years before I started working at the Smithsonian. (Kirk Johnson)

Museum Director Discovers His Mother’s Childhood Visit to the Smithsonian

By raising her son to be curious about the natural world, Kirk Johnson's mother helped shape the trajectory of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Kirk Johnson | May 11, 2019

The Dr. Is In: Are Birds Dinosaurs and Other Questions from Our Readers

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Anna Torres | May 10, 2019

Was the Loch Ness Monster a Plesiosaur? Smithsonian paleontologist, Hans Sues, answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In.” (Smithsonian Institution)

Was the Loch Ness Monster a Plesiosaur and Other Questions from Our Readers, Including Slash (Yes, THE Slash).

Cat-loving paleontologist answers your questions in the National Museum of Natural History's YouTube series, "The Doctor Is In."

Anna Torres | April 26, 2019

Smithsonian paleobiologist Scott Wing digs for plant fossils in Wyoming. (Tom Nash)

Old Fossils, New Meanings: Smithsonian Exhibit Explores the History of Life and What it Means for Our Future

For Earth Day, Smithsonian paleobiologist Scott Wing reminds us that we can look to the fossil record to better understand how ecosystems and organisms today respond to human-caused global changes.

Scott L. Wing | April 22, 2019