Iconic Photos Give Rare Glimpse of Smithsonian's Storage Rooms
Director Kirk Johnson explains what goes on behind the scenes at the world’s largest natural history museum
Abigail Eisenstadt is a Communications Assistant at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. She brings science to the public via the museum's Office of Communications and Public Affairs, where she tracks media coverage, coordinates filming activities and writes for the museum's blog, Smithsonian Voices. Abigail received her master's in science journalism from Boston University. In her free time, she is either outdoors or in the kitchen.
Director Kirk Johnson explains what goes on behind the scenes at the world’s largest natural history museum
Abigail EisenstadtCari Corrigan gathers meteorites from the South Pole to help researchers understand the mineral makeup of asteroids and planets
Abigail EisenstadtMammals have their quirks, and that extends to how they hibernate during the cold season.
Abigail EisenstadtRead about the year's most attention-grabbing findings by scientists at the National Museum of Natural History
Abigail EisenstadtOnce gifted by Napoleon, the heirloom is now bejeweled in December’s birthstone
Abigail EisenstadtArchaeologist Logan Kistler explains how he studies the roots of plant domestication
Abigail EisenstadtThe research highlights Smithsonian’s successful repatriation of Sitting Bull’s leggings and lock of hair to his direct descendants
Abigail EisenstadtSmithsonian hosts specially curated exhibition of evocative images featuring unforgettable animal behavior.
Abigail EisenstadtA one-of-a-kind natural quartz now welcomes visitors to the natural history museum
Abigail EisenstadtDigitization will soon allow researchers around the globe to access the latest specimens in the National Fossil Collection
Abigail Eisenstadt“Critical Distance" explores why southern resident orca whales are endangered and how marine conservation can help.
Abigail EisenstadtSmithsonian Ichthyologist Matt Girard talks about how and why he studies archerfishes.
Abigail EisenstadtPaleontologists continue to use the species to find out more about tyrannosaurs and dinosaurs in general
Abigail EisenstadtThe findings could help scientists learn more about how social behaviors evolved in other animals
Abigail EisenstadtThe findings confirm that carbon dioxide plays a significant role in any climate change.
Abigail EisenstadtLearn about how mollusks create these shiny gems and how that biological process could change as Earth’s waters warm
Abigail EisenstadtCollecting DNA in waters worldwide can help scientists figure out which places are the most important for conservation.
Abigail EisenstadtValerie Paul's work adds to scientists’ knowledge about the ways marine biochemicals can potentially help restore coral reefs and create new biomedicine.
Abigail EisenstadtWhether you're a seasoned visitor or a newbie to the natural history museum, there are plenty of things for you to explore.
Abigail EisenstadtSmithsonian's AquaRoom helps scientists learn more about these animals’ lives and educate future generations about their marine neighbors.
Abigail EisenstadtAs Earth’s climate changes, people around the world are witnessing insidious changes and responding to their new normal.
Abigail EisenstadtThe practice of eating insects, known as entomophagy, is widespread around the world.
Abigail EisenstadtA mummified shrew found at Quesna suggests that ancient Egypt's environment was once more wet than it is now.
Abigail EisenstadtThe research reveals how one of Earth’s defining geologic features likely formed — and set the stage for the emergence of life
Abigail EisenstadtThe National Museum of Natural History’s herbarium is helping botanists research climate-driven changes in plants, their biology and their abundance
Abigail EisenstadtCarla Easter to champion widespread community engagement and accessible scientific outreach as the museum’s new Broh-Kahn Weil Director of Education.
Abigail EisenstadtStudying biominerals can help geologists learn more about how Earth might transform from climate change in the coming decades
Abigail EisenstadtA trillion cicadas expected to invade the Washington metropolitan region when the ground warms to 64 degrees.
Abigail EisenstadtIn this Meet a SI-entist, Smithsonian Entomologist and Collections Manager Floyd Shockley reveals how insects impact our daily lives.
Abigail EisenstadtThe Smithsonian's Human Studies Film Archive houses eight million feet of film which can help future generations reflect on the past.
Abigail EisenstadtThe Dom Pedro Aquamarine is one of the largest mineral crystals found inside Earth's rocks.
Abigail EisenstadtScientists are studying how different species of wasps can be used for insect biocontrol in the United States.
Abigail EisenstadtA new study has reclassified a fossil discovered in 1883 as a dicraeosaurid — a family of long-necked dinosaurs rarely found in North America.
Abigail EisenstadtNow that scientists can detect these fossils in geologic materials faster, they will be able to look for past evidence of the fossils more efficiently.
Abigail EisenstadtThe research could help zoologists understand what makes tuataras so genetically different from all other reptiles.
Abigail EisenstadtResearchers are studying past Arctic cultures and working with today's northern communities to address present-day socioeconomic and environmental challenges.
Abigail EisenstadtThe study challenges what researchers know about eels’ supposed loner behavior.
Abigail EisenstadtDr. Helen James' work on avian extinction helps scientists understand how bird species today respond to threats like human encroachment and environmental change.
Abigail EisenstadtMineralogists study snowflakes to learn more about how water in its solid phase behaves.
Abigail EisenstadtLearn what the ancient history of these sea creatures could tell us about biodiversity on ancient and modern Earth.
Abigail EisenstadtStudying the domestication of any crop that people once ate helps scientists reveal how modern crops have evolved.
Abigail EisenstadtScientists plan to analyze the hornets’ DNA to learn more about the invasive species' mysterious arrival.
Abigail EisenstadtWe caught up with Dr. Jeffrey Post to hear the story of this infamous blue diamond, see what makes the National Gem and Mineral Collection so special and learn about the countless things minerology can reveal about the past and future.
Abigail EisenstadtBison mummies hold valuable information for researchers who want to understand how biodiversity evolved and responded to climate change.
Abigail EisenstadtAs OSIRIS-REx approaches Asteroid Bennu, a new study suggests that massive boulders on its surface have moved a lot over the past few hundred thousand years.
Abigail EisenstadtBy collecting, storing and analyzing specimens and DNA from the deep sea, researchers are improving their knowledge about marine biodiversity in the deep ocean.
Abigail EisenstadtIn a new study published today, scientists at the Smithsonian explain how a seal native to the South Atlantic but found in Indiana likely swam to the middle of North America over 1000 years ago.
Abigail EisenstadtStudying and eventually preserving the megamouth will help researchers learn more about the puzzling species, allowing them to examine the sharks’ impact on the ocean ecosystem and food chain.
Abigail EisenstadtAlthough vipers are famous for their venomous bites, it turns out these snakes have another story to tell.
Abigail EisenstadtThese chocolate-drinking jars are living proof of a dynamic pottery-making tradition that continues in descendant tribes of the Chaco Canyon Puebloans today.
Abigail EisenstadtHawk moths are the underdog pollinators that sustain countless populations of plants around the world.
Abigail EisenstadtHere's why the invasive Asian giant hornet’s identification is actually a scientific success story.
Abigail Eisenstadt