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On April 17, 1970, the parachutes carrying the Apollo 13 spacecraft and its crew cleared the clouds and the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

How the Crew of the Damaged Apollo 13 Came Home

Using the lunar module as a lifeboat and employing techniques never before considered, the astronauts’ ordeal ended triumphantly

A nurse conducts a swab test for SARS-CoV-2 in Chessington, England.

Covid-19

Breaking Down the Two Tests That Could Help Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic

One detects an active infection; another signals that the virus has already left the body. Both are critical for tracking the spread of disease

"Washington and His Cabinet" lithograph by Currier & Ives

The President’s Cabinet Was an Invention of America’s First President

A new book explores how George Washington shaped the group of advisors as an institution to meet his own needs

Red siskins, (above: a trapped female rescued at a local market by wildlife authorities) listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, face threats from habitat loss, and poaching for the pet trade.

Heavily Trafficked Songbirds Have a Path Back to Resiliency

Researchers see promise in recruiting red siskin pet traders as conservation partners

Airburst from a comet may have destroyed a Paleolithic settlement 12,800 years ago.

A Comet May Have Destroyed This Paleolithic Village 12,800 Years Ago

Fragments of a comet likely hit Earth 12,800 years ago, and a little Paleolithic village in Syria might have suffered the impact

A group of Humboldt squid swim in formation about 200 meters below the surface of Monterey Bay

Deep-Sea Squids Glow to Communicate in the Dark

Researchers suggest that the Humboldt squid uses bioluminescent backlighting for visual cues in the dark deep sea

Parents who remember fondly the days of "Reading Rainbow" can introduce the next generation to LeVar Burton's story times, with the Twitter livestream of "LeVar Burton Reads."

Education During Coronavirus

LeVar Burton Reads Stories on Twitter and Other Livestream Learning Opportunities This Week

Learn hip-hop dance or do citizen science without leaving home this week, thanks to the internet’s many intrepid artists and educators

Arches made of yellow orchids as seen at the New York Botanical Garden.

Virtual Travel

Watch These Six Flower Bloom Events From Your Couch

Tulips, cherry blossoms and orchids supply a ray of hope during self-isolation

This week's offerings include How the South Won the Civil War, The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder, and Heaven and Hell.

Books of the Month

The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits, a History of Hell and Other New Books to Read

The second installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Ten Surprising Facts About Everyday Household Objects

While COVID-19 has us homebound, it’s a good time to reflect on the peculiar histories of housewares we take for granted

The Drimolen excavations and excavated fossils.

In Groundbreaking Find, Three Kinds of Early Humans Unearthed Living Together in South Africa

The different hominid species, possibly including the oldest-known Homo erectus, existed in the region’s hills and caves

The face of a sweat bee (Megalopta amoena) that is half female (viewer's left, bee's right) and half male (viewer's right, bee's left)

Meet the Bee With a Body That’s Half Male, Half Female

So-called gynandromorphs are rare, but they can teach us a lot about development and evolution

A U.S. government-issue IBA (Interceptor Body Armor) bulletproof vest used by U.S. Forces in Iraq

The Long, Fraught History of the Bulletproof Vest

The question of bulletproofing vexed physicians and public figures for years, before pioneering inventors experimented with silk

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Smithsonian Voices

The Art of the Teleconference

Transform your Zoom virtual background or computer desktop into a work of art

A lithograph by Alice Dick Dumas depicts children going to a clinic for a health check to prevent the advance of disease.

Covid-19

How Epidemics of the Past Changed the Way Americans Lived

Past public health crises inspired innovations in infrastructure, education, fundraising and civic debate

Danish physician Nadja Albertsen spent a year at Concordia Research Station in Antarctica.

Covid-19

Ten Tips From Scientists Who Have Spent Months in Isolation

Find a hobby, for starters, and don’t forget the mission, say scientists who have worked at remote research stations

The Wisdom of the Universe (detail) by Christi Belcourt (Michif), 2014

Women Who Shaped History

Native Women Artists Reclaim Their Narrative

The first major exhibition of its kind, “Hearts of Our People,” boasts 82 pieces from 115 Native women across North America

Can you become immune to SARS-CoV-2?

Covid-19

What Scientists Know About Immunity to the Novel Coronavirus

Though COVID-19 likely makes recovered patients immune, experts aren’t sure how long protection lasts

The ever-growing list of 1,000 Places Where Women Made History currently includes everything from homes where pioneering women once lived, buildings where specific events that involved them occurred, and where women-led accomplishments happened.

Women Who Shaped History

Crowdsourcing Project Aims to Document the Many U.S. Places Where Women Have Made History

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is looking for 1,000 places tied to women’s history, and to share the stories of the figures behind them

Join Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium every morning at 11 a.m.

Education During Coronavirus

Check Out These Educational Livestreams This Week

Authors, scientists and others are offering fun livestream lessons and performances to keep kids engaged during isolation

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