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A ward at the Mare Island Naval Hospital in California during the influenza epidemic, November 1918

The Next Pandemic

Ten Myths About the 1918 Flu Pandemic

The ‘greatest pandemic in history’ was 100 years ago – but many of us still get the basic facts wrong

Women Who Shaped History

A Tour of Beauty Industry Pioneer Madam C.J. Walker’s Indianapolis

The hair-care magnate at the center of the new Netflix series ‘Self Made’ left her imprint on the city where she launched her career

Follow along with the #SmithsonianEdu hashtag.

Education During Coronavirus

Eight Digital Education Resources From Around the Smithsonian

The newly launched #SmithsonianEdu campaign highlights 1.7 million online tools geared specifically toward students and teachers

The remains of the newly discovered structure.

A Mysterious 25,000-Year-Old Structure Built of the Bones of 60 Mammoths

The purpose of such an elaborate structure remains a big open question

Frea is a year-old, zero-waste vegan restaurant in Berlin.

The Rise of ‘Zero-Waste’ Restaurants

A new breed of food establishment is attempting to do away with food waste entirely

Isle au Haut thoroughfare

A Tiny Island Off the Coast of Maine Could Be a Renewable Energy Model for the Rest of the World

Remote Isle au Haut is integrating time-tested technology with emerging innovations to create its own microgrid

Charles Lindbergh, Walter Winchell and Franklin D. Roosevelt (L to R) are among the public figures fictionalized in Philip Roth's The Plot Against America.

Based on a True Story

The True History Behind ‘The Plot Against America’

Philip Roth’s classic novel, newly adapted by HBO, envisions a world in which Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election

Vampire bats, a highly social species, will continue interacting with each other even when they're feeling sick.

When Illness Strikes, Vampire Bat Moms Will Still Socialize With Their Kids

Studying how bats behave when they’re feeling ill could help researchers better understand how pathogens move through close-knit populations

No re-opening date for the Smithsonian Institution (above: vintage postcard of the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C) is announced. Officials say they are monitoring the situation.

Smithsonian Museums to Close Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

In an official statement, the Institution announced temporary closures beginning Saturday, March 14

The research vessel in December, two months after mooring to an ice floe nicknamed “the Fortress.”

Planet Positive

Why the MOSAiC Expedition’s Research Is So Vital to Climate Change Research

On a ship frozen in the Arctic, scientists have spent all winter to shed light on exactly how the world is changing

Programming across the Smithsonian Institution, including the April Earth Optimism seminar and Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day, is canceled through May 3 due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

All Smithsonian Museums and National Zoo Remain Open Through Friday; Events Canceled

With Washington, D.C. COVID-19 state of emergency, Smithsonian officials say museums to close Saturday, March 14; events canceled through May 3

You can see evidence of community even during gameplay. At its core, derby requires communication; it’s a true team sport.

The Rough-and-Tumble Sport of Roller Derby Is All About Community

Participants promote a family-oriented fellowship of friends who like to beat each other up while wearing skates

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Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit Was Made by a Bra Manufacturer

This wearable spacecraft let humans take one giant leap away from Earth

Jupiter's moon Europa may have the ingredients necessary for hosting life: liquid water, an energy source and organic compounds.

We’re Better Equipped to Find Extraterrestrial Life Now Than Ever Before

Astronomers have more places to look for signs of intelligent life and more advanced tools to find it

In 1985, Riddles was the first to cross the finish line after 18 days, 20 minutes and 17 seconds. Her win produced a new generation of women mushers competing in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

Facing Blizzards and Accidents, Iditarod’s First Woman Champion Libby Riddles Persisted

A sled in the Smithsonian collections marks the historic race

Why do sea turtles eat plastic? The smell.

Sea Turtles Might Be Eating Old Plastic Because It Smells Like Shrimp

Over time, trash that has been floating in the ocean gets covered in algae and other micro-organisms

The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle

Six Castles You Can Visit in the United States

You don’t have to travel to Europe to see turrets, gate houses and other architectural features reminiscent of the Middle Ages

Double Self-Portrait by John Singer Sargent, 1902

John Singer Sargent ‘Abhorred’ Making His Lavish Portraits, So He Took Up Charcoal to Get the Job Done

Sargent made his portraits in charcoal—a medium that allowed completion in less than three hours rather than the weeks it took for his full-length oils

Left, a photograph of Helen Hamilton Gardener circa 1920. Right, an image of the Smithsonian's NAWSA exhibition, featuring the table upon which the "Declaration of Sentiments" was written.

Women Who Shaped History

The Woman Who Pushed the Smithsonian to Preserve the Victory for Suffrage

After lobbying in support of the 19th Amendment, free thinker Helen Hamilton Gardener strove to preserve the movement’s legacy in the public memory

Ostrich eggshell beads were exchanged between ancient hunter-gatherers living in distant, ecologically diverse regions of southern Africa, including deserts and high mountains.

Humans Have Been Taking Out Insurance Policies for at Least 30,000 Years

A study of beads made from ostrich eggshells suggests the humans of the Kalahari Desert region formed social networks to help each other

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