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Early 20th century poster of magician Howard Thurston's spirit box illusion

Howard Thurston, the Magician Who Disappeared

Overshadowed by more famous contemporaries, the visionary behind “The Wonder Show of the Universe” left a far-reaching legacy

Former NFL center Samson Satele was born in Hawai‘i and played college football there. He’s one of a growing number of pro football players of Samoan descent.

The Roots of Samoans’ Rise to Football Greatness

It all started in Hawaiʻi on Oahu’s North Shore, where plantation managers and Mormon elders nurtured future generations of football stars

A 2017 Ducati motorcycle, a Panigale 1299 Superleggera, as-yet unridden, is on view at the Cooper Hewitt in New York City.

A Sensuous Blending of Style and Speed, This Ducati Is Both Art and Machine

An appreciation for the cognoscenti of motorcycles

Zebra finches fire up brain regions and vibrate their vocal cords in ways that mimic singing, even while asleep.

Zebra Finches Dream a Little Dream of Melody

Zebra finches flex their singing muscles while snoozing, as if they’re lip-syncing in their sleep—and scientists want to know why

Nancy by Olivia Jaimes for May 4, 2018

The Revamped “Nancy” Is the Perfect Comic Strip for 2018

The comic’s first woman artist mines her own girlhood experience to make the eternally 8-year-old, cookie-loving grouch even funnier

Four Przewalski's horse foals—one filly and three colts—have been born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute since mid-March.

Four Foals Join the Herd of Przewalski’s Horses at the Smithsonian

This endangered species, native to Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan, is slowly being revitalized with the help of conservation scientists around the world.

A koala in the Vienna zoo.

Koalas Use Ancient Viral DNA to Neutralize New Invaders

And the research on the fluffy marsupials may help unlock the secrets of the human genome’s viral relics

Gambel's Quail makes its home in high, dry parts of the Mojave Desert. But like many bird species, it's struggling against the effects of climate change.

Climate Change Is Taking Down Birds in the Mojave Desert

New findings suggest increasingly dry conditions have halved Mojave’s bird populations over the last century. It’s a warning for the desert — and the world

Birds don’t fly across wide Amazonian rivers like the Rio Negro.

How Amazon Rivers Play a Role in the Evolution of Birds

Rivers are natural boundaries for evolving populations. But scientists don’t agree whether they create new species or just help maintain them.

Deciding what, exactly, constitutes a wilderness in the ocean is not completely figured out, though some researchers are trying to find an answer.

Why the Ocean Needs Wilderness

A new study finds that only 13 percent of the ocean can be classified as “wilderness.” But what does this even mean?

This stretchable electronic device's design is inspired by the cut-paper art called kirigami.

How Ancient Arts Are Inspiring Modern Electronics

Engineers are finding a connection between paper snowflakes and wearable devices that stretch and bend with your body

Fears materialized when a series of deadly botulism cases struck unassuming consumers throughout the country.

The Botulism Outbreak That Gave Rise to America’s Food Safety System

In late 1919 and early 1920, scientists and canners worked with the government to protect the public from the deadly toxin

Sean D. Tucker says the Oracle Challenger III is "truly a magic carpet—just a dream to fly."

This One-of-a-Kind Biplane Embodies the Thrill of Airshow Flight

The Air and Space Museum’s new “We All Fly” gallery will encourage imaginations to soar

One of the meg's fearsome teeth, shown here in this extreme close-up.

The Real Science Behind the Megalodon

As The Meg hits theaters, dive into what we really know about this chompy predator

Elaine Defendants, Helena, Phillips County, Ark., ca. 1910,

The Massacre of Black Sharecroppers That Led the Supreme Court to Curb the Racial Disparities of the Justice System

White Arkansans, fearful of what would happen if African-Americans organized, took violent action, but it was the victims who ended up standing trial

Liang Bua cave on Flores Island, where Homo floresiensis remains were discovered in 2003. Nearby is a village where the pygmies live.

New Research

A New Genetic Study Suggests Modern Flores Island Pygmies and Ancient Hobbits Are Unrelated

The island dwarfism effect seems to have occurred independently in each population, thousands of years apart

George Shapiro cuts the ribbon on a Seinfeld exhibit.

A Massive New Museum Dedicated to Comedy Just Opened in Lucille Ball’s Hometown

The brand-new National Comedy Center — in the noted comedy destination of Jamestown, New York — is a look at the history of humor

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