National Museum of Natural History

Brown mussel shells sit in a white box with orange paper underneath.

Interested in Using Museum Collections to Better Understand Freshwater Mussels? There’s Now an App for That

A new online resource combines data from 45 different natural history collections to provide easy-to-use information on America’s threatened freshwater mussels

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New Museum Display Showcases the Mineral Building Blocks of Cellphones

The story behind the specimens at the center of the museum’s new exhibition “Cellphone: Unseen Connections”

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“Endlessly Fascinating Devices”: Why the National Museum of Natural History is Exploring the Cultural Nature of Cellphones

A behind the scenes glimpse of the museum’s new exhibition, “Cellphone: Unseen Connections”

A chuck of natural, light blue and gray aquamarine beryl on white background.

How X-Rays Unlocked the Mystery of Crystals

In 1912, scientists invented X-ray crystallography and revealed a crystal’s atomic structure for the first time

This is a giant spindle magnetofossil, created by a mysterious creature over 50 million years ago. So far, the iron fossils have only been found during two periods of intense global warming. (Kenneth Livi, Courtney Wagner, and Ioan Lascu)

New Way to Study Magnetic Fossils Could Help Unearth Their Origins

Now that scientists can detect these fossils in geologic materials faster, they will be able to look for past evidence of the fossils more efficiently.

Museum staff, Laura Donnelly-Smith and Sally Love, try out the new audio description app in the “Hall of Fossils – Deep Time.” (Lucia RM Martino, Smithsonian Institution)

New App Takes Smithsonian Visitors Beyond Visuals

A new audio description app welcomes visitors to more autonomously explore the fossil hall.

Researchers at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History traveled the world and made many new discoveries this year—including 18 new species of pelican spiders. (Nikolai Scharff)

Check Out Some of Our Most Popular Discoveries From 2018

Celebrate the new year with some of our most popular scientific discoveries from 2018.

With more disciplines working together, better use of big data, and more computer simulations and other quantitative approaches, archaeologists may be able to make meaningful predictions of the future. (Photo courtesy of Wendy Cegielski and Jay Etchings)

Convergence May Help Scientists Predict the Future

Archaeologists J.Daniel Rogers and Wendy Cegielski identified three distinct research trends that need to converge to address today’s greatest challenges.

Tlingit Killer Whale Clan Hat digitized and repatriated by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in 2005. (Nick Partridge, Smithsonian)

Is 3D Technology the Key to Preserving Indigenous Cultures?

Smithsonian scientists apply 3D technology to indigenous artifacts to ensure native cultures survive and thrive for future generations.

Four views of a Shee aan. SI Catalog #E7899. (Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian)

3D Technology May Revive this Ancient Hunting Tool

Smithsonian scientists used 3D technology to help revive the ancient Tlingit Shee aan.

Onboard science leads Drs. Chris Mah and Chris Kelley and NOAA Educational Partnership Program Intern Nikola Rodriguez discuss and take a closer look at deepwater habitats explored with remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer on Horizon Guyot. (Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2017 Laulima O Ka Moana)

Can Technology Bring the Deep-Sea to You?

Telepresence adds a collaborative dynamic to scientific research, outreach, and education.

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