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This image shows the stratification of Lake Kivu, with its lower, warmer waters separated from its higher, cooler waters.

The Explosive Hazard Hiding in an African Lake

Rwanda’s Lake Kivu has dense depths packed with methane and carbon dioxide gas

Wally Koval has transformed his wildly popular Instagram account Accidentally Wes Anderson into a book of the same name.

Ten Places That Could Be Straight Out of a Wes Anderson Film

A new book showcases photographs of quirky and colorful places that aesthetically—and accidentally—match the filmmaker’s style

The second season of "The Spanish Princess" presents a highly dramatized version of the Battle of Flodden. In actuality, the queen (seen here in a c. 1520 portrait) never rode directly into battle.

Based on a True Story

When Catherine of Aragon Led England’s Armies to Victory Over Scotland

In 1513, Henry VIII’s first queen—acting as regent in her husband’s absence—secured a major triumph at the Battle of Flodden

Hundreds of sockeye salmon spawn in a spring-fed pond in Iliamna Lake, Alaska

Seven Natural Phenomena Worth Traveling to Alaska For

From salmon spawning to the dancing lights of the aurora borealis, Alaska has some of the country’s most impressive natural wonders

A reintroduced swift fox outfitted with a GPS collar looks out across the shortgrass prairie of the Fort Belknap Reservation in northern Montana. The tribes on the reservation are bringing the species back to Fort Belknap after an absence of more than 50 years.

Tribes Reintroduce Swift Fox to Northern Montana’s Fort Belknap Reservation

After absence of more than 50 years, the pint-sized predator returns to the prairie

A woman with anorexia gets ready to weigh herself.

Covid-19

How Patients With Eating Disorders Have Been Affected by the Pandemic

A recent study suggests that worries related to Covid-19 may exacerbate conditions including anorexia and binge eating

NASA's new $23 million Universal Waste Management System

NASA Just Sent a New $23 Million Space Toilet to the International Space Station

Astronauts will test out the expensive commode, which is better designed for “dual ops,” before its eventual use on deep space missions

For 12 days from October 13 to 25, the works of selected contemporary crafters (above: Lady Liberty by Patti Warashina) will be on sale through the Bidsquare.com platform.

Artisan America

For This Year’s Crop of Smithsonian Craft Show Artists, the Pandemic Changes Everything

Ceramicist Patti Warashina, the winner of the show’s prestigious Visionary Award, reflects on how her artwork reveals the surreal of these times

Halloween 2020 is having its moment, even if it will feel different compared to years past.

From Wider Corn Mazes to Virtual Haunted Houses, Halloween Looks Different This Year

The coronavirus pandemic has destinations around the country getting creative when it comes to celebrating the holiday

This month's picks include Mantel Pieces, The Dead Are Arising and A Series of Fortunate Events.

Books of the Month

How the Alphabet Got Its Order, Malcolm X and Other New Books to Read

These five October releases may have been lost in the news cycle

Let your off-grid home take shape in whatever form best fits your new, adventurous lifestyle.

How to Set Up an Off-the-Grid Getaway

Need a change of scenery? A quiet spot away from crowds? Here are some tips for rigging a remote escape with the bare necessities

President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes hands with Martin Luther King Jr. at the signing of the Civil Rights Act.

Race in America

The Outsized Role of the President in Race Relations

A new podcast series explores how the presidency has shaped the nation’s approach to pursuing racial justice

A Galápagos tortoise specimen from the California Academy of Sciences

How an Expedition to the Galápagos Islands Saved One of the World’s Largest Natural History Museums

A soon-to-be digitized and publicly accessible collection of specimens helped resurrect the California Academy of Sciences

As countries in the Northern Hemisphere enter flu season, experts are looking to patterns from Southern Hemisphere nations as a source of cautious optimism.

Covid-19

What to Expect When Covid-19 and the Flu Season Collide

Experts weigh in on the necessary steps to ensure a mild flu season during the pandemic

An aerial view of the northwestern corner of St. Matthew Island. The small grouping of uninhabited islands is over 300 kilometers across the Bering Sea from the mainland, making it the most remote location in Alaska.

The Alaskan Island That Humans Can’t Conquer

Faraway St. Matthew Island has had its share of visitors, but none can remain for long on its shores

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen performs at a September 2015 concert in Chula Vista, California.

Eddie Van Halen on How Necessity Drives Innovation

The rock star, who died on October 6 at age 65, said that perfection is boring and mistakes are the “most exciting element of music”

In an explosion of green and gold, Elaine de Kooning's portrayal of President John F. Kennedy holds pride of place at the National Portrait Gallery in its exhibition "America's Presidents."

Why Elaine de Kooning’s Portrait of JFK Broke All the Rules

After the assassination, the grief-stricken artist painted the president’s image obsessively; finally saying she caught only “a glimpse” of him

Sea turtle eggs, rumored to have aphrodisiac properties, are frequently poached from Costa Rican beaches

3-D Printed Sea Turtle Eggs Reveal Poaching Routes

Scientists put GPS locators inside plastic eggs to find trafficking destinations in Costa Rica

Singer Jenny Lind was widely known as the "Swedish Nightingale."

When Opera Star Jenny Lind Came to America, She Witnessed a Nation Torn Apart Over Slavery

Born 200 years ago, the Swedish soprano embarked on headline-grabbing tour that shared the spotlight with a political maelstrom

A Virginia woman votes early in the 2020 general election.

100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box

How Women Vote: Separating Myth From Reality

Suffragists said women voting would transform politics. Here’s how women have wielded the ballot in the past century, according to a political scientist

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