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A drone captured the ice circle that formed on the Presumpscot River in Westbrook, Maine, last January.

The Science Behind Snow Rollers, Ice Circles and Other Winter Phenomena

A meteorologist explains how bizarre snow and ice formations take shape—and where you’re most likely to see them

2020 is shaping up to be a great year for sky watching.

Ten Celestial Events You Don’t Want to Miss in 2020

Whether you are a telescope enthusiast or just want to step outside to enjoy the night sky, these are the phenomena to look out for this year

Yayoi Kusama with recent works in Tokyo, 2016

Celebrating the Eternal Legacy of Artist Yayoi Kusama

An upcoming Hirshhorn collection exhibition will honor the artist’s seven-decade career

AMA #WCW by Dada Khanyisa, 2018

How the Heroes of Africa Triumphed Against All Odds

At the African Art Museum the inspiring stories of 50 individuals from the continent are honored in classical and contemporary works of art

Dust-rich outflows of evolved stars similar to the pictured Egg Nebula are plausible sources of the large presolar silicon carbide grains found in meteorites like Murchison.

Meteorite Grains Are the Oldest Known Solid Material on Earth

The oldest dust sample, perhaps 7 billion years old, predates the formation of our planet and the sun

A "living machine" containing frog stem cells in a new configuration designed by a computer algorithm. Parts shown in green are made up of frog skin cells, while parts in red are frog heart cells.

Scientists Assemble Frog Stem Cells Into First ‘Living Machines’

The so-called ‘xenobots’ could replace traditional metal or plastic robots without polluting the planet, but they raise ethical questions

How Haiti’s Devastating Earthquake Prompted a Worldwide Effort to Safeguard Cultural Heritage

To safeguard cultural heritage, a massive Smithsonian-led cultural rescue operation can now be mobilized to help countries recover from disaster

Rumor has it the Manta5 Hydrofoil Bike is extremely fun to ride.

Eight Remarkable Inventions Unveiled at This Year’s CES

From a smart grill to a bike that rides on water, these were the coolest—and strangest—gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show

Construction of interceptor sewers in the 1920s—New Jersey, U.S. The main interceptor is 22 miles long and connects to 18 miles of branch sewers.

These Photos Capture the World’s Sewer Systems When They Were Brand New

Archival images from the late 19th and early 20th centuries reveal engineered labyrinths of civic optimism

African grey parrots are highly social, and may benefit from establishing reputations for generosity.

Parrots Will Share Currency to Help Their Pals Purchase Food

Animals often share food, but these birds understand that metal rings can be exchanged for treats, and they share the rings with no promise of reward

The hypothetical dream spacecraft flies over Uranus and past its rings and moons, too.

Astronomers Prepare a Mission Concept to Explore the Ice Giant Planets

NASA scientists imagined some innovative technologies that could enhance a future mission to Uranus or Neptune

Cuttlefish are calculating hunters, and need depth perception to efficiently snare their prey.

Scientists Velcroed 3-D Glasses to Cuttlefish to Study Their Depth Perception

The results of the eye-popping study suggest cuttlefish see the world in surprisingly human ways

Look at those good doggos.

How Dog Parks Took Over the Urban Landscape

Birthed from the counterculture of the ’60s, the pet playground has witnessed a major shift in how Americans relate to their canines

Richard Booth's Bookshop on Lion Street in Hay-On-Wye, Wales

Attention Bibliophiles: These Book Towns Should Be Your Next Vacation Stops

From Australia to Malaysia, these villages are prized for their abundance of bookstores

Left, part of the U.S. Capitol's north wing after a M19 bomb damaged it in 1983. Right, an image from a sympathetic pamphlet reading "Resistance is not a Crime! Stop the Political Show Trial!" showing core members of M19 (left to right, Alan Berkman, Tim Blunk, Susan Rosenberg, Linda Sue Evans, Marilyn Buck, Laura Whitehorn) in prison.

In the 1980s, a Far-Left, Female-Led Domestic Terrorism Group Bombed the U.S. Capitol

Historian William Rosenau investigates the May 19th Communist Organization in a new book about the little-known militant group

(Clockwise from left) Michela Puddu, Elias Sime, Richard Yim and Miranda Wang

Eight Innovators to Watch in 2020

From plastic recycling pioneers to landmine foes, these dreamers have big plans for the coming year

Iron-rich dust launched into the air by winds swirls around the Southern Ocean. Understanding how iron’s chemistry shifts during its journey from earth to air to sea will be important for developing better climate models.

The Complicated Role of Iron in Ocean Health and Climate Change

Iron dust may have played a significant role in the last ice age, and it could be an important factor in mitigating future global temperature increases

Hattie Caraway succeeded her husband as an Arkansas senator and then won re-election with more votes than her six male opponents combined. She's pictured at her desk in 1943.

Women Who Shaped History

Hattie Caraway, the First Woman Elected to the U.S. Senate, Faced a Familiar Struggle With Gender Politics

After Arkansas elected her in 1931, Caraway was ignored by her peers but hounded by the press

Aerial view of deforested area of the Amazon rainforest.

The Amazon Has Lost More Than Ten Million Football Fields of Forest in a Decade

The Royal Statistical Society’s stat of the decade is 24,000 square miles of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest

Bear Family of Kamchatka

This Photographer Goes to the Ends of the Earth to Capture Rarely Viewed Animals

Roie Galitz considers himself an ambassador for the creatures he photographs, capturing their intimate moments in hopes of inspiring conservation

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