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Future of Space Exploration

Interactive Map Shows All 21 Successful Moon Landings

Humans have walked on the moon six times, and robotic probes have been touching down on the lunar surface for decades—but there is still much to explore

The team has applied for a patent for the material (shown here in a petri dish) and continues to test it at the micro- and nano-scale to better understand how it works.

How Scientists Are Using Eggshells to Grow New Bone

People with bones damaged by accidents, cancer or aging could one day benefit from bone grafts strengthened with chicken eggshells

Petroglyphs at the Reef Bay Trail in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Eight Spots in the United States Where You Can See Petroglyphs

There are rock carvings and paintings in some unexpected locations around the country

Belgian cyclist Firmin Lambot, the ultimate winner of the race, pictured in a wooly yellow jersey.

The Original Tour de France Yellow Jersey Was Made of Wool

100 years ago, in the middle of the race, a rider wore the famed jersey for the first time

An artist's recreation of Hylonomus lyelli, a tiny reptile that lived more than 300 million years ago.

Tiny Animals Trapped in Fossil Trees Help Reveal How Fauna Moved Onto Land

New ancient animals will likely be discovered in 310 million-year-old fossilized trees in Nova Scotia

Neil Armstrong (left) and Buzz Aldrin (right) document a sample during a field trip at Sierra Blanca in west Texas on February 24, 1969.

Future of Space Exploration

Before Going to the Moon, Apollo 11 Astronauts Trained at These Five Sites

From Arizona to Hawaii, these landscapes—similar in ways to the surface of the moon—were critical training grounds for the crew

Members of the 3rd Calvary arrive in D.C. to quash the racial unrest

One Hundred Years Ago, a Four-Day Race Riot Engulfed Washington, D.C.

Rumors ran wild as white mobs assaulted black residents who in turn fought back, refusing to be intimidated

Sai Mado (The Distant Gaze) (detail) by Aida Muluneh, Ethiopia, 2016

Women’s Voices Ring With a Resounding Roar in This New Show

The African Art Museum raises the profile of female artists showcasing their works from its collections

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin works at the deployed Passive Seismic Experiment Package on July 20, 1969. To the left of the United States flag in the background is the lunar surface television camera.

Apollo at 50: We Choose to Go to the Moon

The Best Books About the Apollo Program and Landing on the Moon

From astronaut autobiographies to definitive accounts from leading historians, these are the must reads about the landmark mission

A scene from Verdi's opera Rigoletto during a photo rehearsal on the lake stage as part of the Bregenz Festival. The premiere will take place on July 17.

There’s a Massive Jester Floating on Austria’s Lake Constance

Each year at the Bregenz Festival, a set designer creates an elaborate opera stage on the water

Excavation of the Philistine cemetery at Ashkelon.

When Ancient DNA Gets Politicized

What responsibility do archaeologists have when their research about prehistoric finds is appropriated to make 21st-century arguments about ethnicity?

A prototype floating dairy farm in Rotterdam, Netherlands is home to 35 dairy cows. In the future, similar platforms will be set up nearby to grow vegetables and farm eggs.

Will Cities of the Future Have Floating Farms?

In the Netherlands, an experimental floating dairy farm promises to reduce emissions and increase food security

Annette Sheppard, one of the ten glassmakers competing on "Blown Away."

The Spectacle and Drama of Netflix’s New Glassblowing Show Will Shatter Your Expectations

“Blown Away” showcases the incredible art form in an innovative reality competition series

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh discovered a new form of flight in dandelion seeds.

Five Scientific Findings That Could Lead to New Inventions

From cat tongues to dandelions seeds, engineers often look in peculiar places for inspiration

A Saturn V rocket being rolled out to the launch pad for Apollo 10.

Future of Space Exploration

Apollo Engineers Discuss What It Took to Land on the Moon

The people who bent metal and built spaceships recall the culture and leadership that made it possible to send humans to the lunar surface

Detail from a promotional poster for Thunderball showing James Bond escaping with the help of a jet pack.

In Battles of Man Versus Machine, James Bond Always Wins

We love the suave character because he soothes our anxieties about the power of humans in an increasingly technological world

Divers participating in the Underwater Music Festival pretend to play musical instruments in the waters off of Big Pine Key, Florida.

Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music

This Florida Music Festival Takes Place Completely Underwater

To draw attention to coral reef conservation, divers play ‘bass-oons’ and ‘trombonefish’ at the Underwater Music Festival in Key West

Photography was so expensive when it was first introduced that people treated getting their photo taken like a once-in-a-lifetime portrait opportunity.

Why Don’t People Smile in Old Photographs? And More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Reverend Ralph Abernathy, flanked by associates, stand on steps of a mockup of the lunar module displaying a protest sign while demonstrating at the Apollo 11 launch.

While NASA Was Landing on the Moon, Many African Americans Sought Economic Justice Instead

For those living in poverty, the billions spent on the Apollo program, no matter how inspiring the mission, laid bare the nation’s priorities

In 1969, the New York Times described Joe Cocker’s air guitar as “unusual gesturing.”

Hitting the High Notes: A Smithsonian Year of Music

An Electrifying History of Air Guitar

How the world’s most popular invisible instrument became such a hit

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