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Articles

A member of an underwater archaeology team inspects a sphinx that is at least 3,000 years old.

Raising Alexandria

More than 2,000 years after Alexander the Great founded Alexandria, archaeologists are discovering its fabled remains

Among the best hunters in Africa, wild dogs have a higher kill rate than lions and can take down antelope that weigh as much as 500 pounds. They are notorious for a grisly efficiency that has made some people fear and hate them, if not shoot them on sight.

Curse of the Devil’s Dogs

Viewed as pests, Africa’s wild dogs have nearly been wiped out. But thanks to new conservation efforts, the canines appear ready to make a comeback

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The Nic Fix

Put down your lighters and pick up your health care cards—, nicotine vaccines are in the works

Nudibranchs (seaslugs) are favorite with amateur divers. The advent of SCUBA diving and digital photography has revolutionized how we document and describe these soft-bodied, shell-less gastropods.

Species Explosion

What happens when you mix evolution with climate change?

Covering the Earth

A collection of Smithsonian’s recent environmental stories

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Hot Topics

An ice-diving course in Svalbard, Norway in only the tip of the Smithsonian science iceberg

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The Deciding Moment

A newly published scrapbook of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s early photographs is changing some notions about how he worked

An Old Bailey trial, circa 1808

Capturing a Narrative

In this interview, Guy Gugliotta, author of “Digitizing the Hanging Court,” talks about the Old Bailey’s influence on Dickens, Defoe and other writers

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Horse Appeal

In this interview, Steve Twomey, author of “Barbaro’s Legacy,” discusses how interest in the horse extends outside the racetrack

Tempered chaos is key for painter Maggie Michael (in her Washington, D.C. studio). "In control or out of control; loved or loving; sexual or violent; my work relates to different aspects of our humanness," she says.

Artist on the Rise

Contemporary artist Maggie Michael shakes up abstract painting by giving control a chance

Chihuly's Walla Wallas (2005).

The Nature of Glass

Prolific sculptor Dale Chihuly plants his vitreous visions in a Florida garden

Thomas Buechner's portrait of Bill Zinsser.

Two Men and a Portrait

One wondered how an artist brings paint to life. The other showed him

A relentless self-promoter, Houdini appeared in several films. Performing his daring escapes for the screen, he had hoped that he could slow down his packed schedule. His showmanship did not translate in film, and his movies proved to be failures. (Library of Congress)

Houdini Revealed

Some 80 years after his death, Harry Houdini is back in the public spotlight. This photo essay sheds light on the escape artist’s life

Capt. John Smith and Chief Powhatan had historic encounters in Werowocomoco.

Lost City of Powhatan

The Algonquian settlement crucial to the survival of Jamestown 400 years ago has been found. Finally

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What’s Up

Duke Ellington, animated movies and the old ballgame

Zuni or not, every woman is obliged to pitch in for the Sha'lako corn-grinding ceremony. During the religious festival, says Morell (far right), "people are expected to set aside all feelings of ill-will and hostility."

Mystery and Drama

Virginia Morell, author of “The Zuni Way,” on the mystical ceremonies of the Zuni pueblo

A player wearing an old-fashioned catcher's mask

April Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

The Old Bailey (in 1809) was the venue for more than 100,000 criminal trials between 1674 and 1834, including all death penalty cases.

Digitizing the Hanging Court

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey is an epic chronicle of crime and vice in early London. Now anyone can search all 52 million words

Adhering to tradition is a way of life among the Zuni Indians of northwestern New Mexico, whether it's dryland farming or wedding ceremonies. "The Zuni's complex social web seems to hold people," says Dennis Tedlock. "Their religion and language provide...ethnic identity."

The Zuni Way

Though they embrace computers and TV, the secret of the tribe’s unity lies in fealty to their past

The Egyptian queen frequently surrounded herself with splendor, but luxury was less an indulgence than a political tool.

Who Was Cleopatra?

Mythology, propaganda, Liz Taylor and the real Queen of the Nile

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