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Articles

A detail shot of Triptych #3, David Gootnick, Alaskan yellow cedar and redheart on washi paper, 2023

See the Mesmerizing Interlocking Geometric Patterns Produced With This Ancient Japanese Woodworking Technique

The art form, known as kumiko, is now practiced by designers from around the world

European gray wolves in Germany

Why Have European Wolves Recovered So Much in the Past Decade?

The predators have increased by almost 60 percent on the continent

"The Beverly Hillbillies" cast in 1963, from left to right: Max Baer Jr. (as Jethro Bodine); Irene Ryan (as Granny, Daisy Moses); Buddy Ebsen (as Jed Clampett); and Donna Douglas (as Elly May Clampett)

The Controversial History of the Word ‘Hillbilly,’ Which Was First Defined in Print 125 Years Ago

In 1900, a political writer described the “hill-billie” as someone who “talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him.” Since then, the label has been used in both mockery and pride

A 1960s studio portrait of a baby girl wearing a pink dress

Unraveling the Colorful History of Why Girls Wear Pink and Boys Wear Blue

Children used to wear the same white dresses, regardless of gender. But clothing styles and color preferences shifted in the mid-20th century

An ancient vase depicting the death of Talos, the bronze automaton created by the god Hephaestus to guard the island of Crete

History of Now

Was Talos, the Bronze Automaton Who Guarded the Island of Crete in Greek Myth, an Early Example of Artificial Intelligence?

The mythical sentry was depicted as thinking like a human and showing some human-like tendencies

Mainstream providers of shared mobility — such as e-scooters, bicycles and rideshares — often overlook marginalised communities, families and the elderly. NGOs and public agencies are filling the gap.

Making Ride Hailing, Bike Shares and Other Transportation Options Accessible to All

Shared mobility is good for the environment, but not equal opportunity. What can be done to make travel easier for everyone?

A variety of marine creatures and unique features can be found in the deep sea off Norway, including the dumbo octopus, colorful anemones and venting chimneys.

As Norway Considers Deep-Sea Mining, a Rich History of Ocean Conservation Decisions May Inform How the Country Acts

In the past, scientists, industry and government have worked together in surprising, tense and fruitful ways

Two disco fans dancing together at a club, circa 1975

Fifty Years Ago, This Irresistible Disco Song and Dance Craze Swept the Nation and Changed the Music Landscape

Disco music’s time in the sun may have passed, but the legacy of “The Hustle,” a mega hit in the genre, lives on

Get your costumes on. It's slush cup season.

Why Skiers Are Ending the Season With a Splash—and Keeping the Raucous Tradition of Pond Skimming Alive

For nearly 100 years, die-hards have been saying goodbye to winter by speeding down the slopes and water skiing over massive puddles

An 1864 statue of George Washington is silhouetted against the night sky.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Get Into the Revolutionary Spirit With These Beautiful Photographs of Boston

Massachusetts’ capital city offers American history lessons at every turn

In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem "Paul Revere's Ride," the 40-year-old silversmith was a lone hero who "spread the alarm / through every Middlesex village and farm."

America's 250th Anniversary

Paul Revere Wasn’t the Only Midnight Rider Who Dashed Through the Darkness to Warn the Patriots That the British Were Coming

Revere, who was later immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem, was one of many riders who rode through the countryside, spreading the alarm on April 18, 1775

A Schaus’ swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus) rests on a plant.

Why Does This Endangered Butterfly Thrive After Hurricanes?

For Schaus’ swallowtail butterflies, the powerful storms mean clear skies and bright futures

Fossils indicate a variety of marine reptiles swam through ancient seas.

From Massive Eyes to Shark-Like Tails, Seven Amazing Adaptations That Helped Prehistoric Reptiles Thrive at Sea

The creatures cruised the world’s oceans with features we often associate with marine mammals, such as coats of blubber and the ability to birth live young

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There's More to That

Dive Into the Deeper Story of the American Revolution on How New England and Virginia United Against the British

Inside the steeple of Old North Church and among the Southern Colonies, less familiar stories of the events from 250 years ago emerge

A 70mm IMAX camera used to shoot The Dream is Alive, now in the National Air and Space Museum's collection

In the 1980s, This Special Camera Helped Turn Astronauts Into Cinematographers to Shoot the First Imax Movie Ever Filmed in Space

The groundbreaking work, “The Dream Is Alive,” celebrates its 40th anniversary this year

The updated hotel will offer 375 hotel rooms and 372 residences ranging from studios to four-bedrooms.

Eight Historic Moments That Took Place at the Waldorf Astoria New York

The famous hotel reopens this spring after an extensive renovation that began in 2017

An adult male Hudsonian godwit perches in a white spruce tree in Churchill, Manitoba.

Inside the Epic Migrations of North America’s Most Fascinating Shorebirds, From Godwits to Curlews

Ornithologist Bruce Beehler tracks down what he calls the “Magnificent Seven,” a charismatic group of migratory birds, in his new book

An Aldabra giant tortoise stands tall. Males can weigh more than 500 pounds.

Thousands of Giant Tortoises Anchor a Thriving Ecosystem on Aldabra, a Remote Atoll in the Indian Ocean

The animals graze the vegetation into a picturesque turf, fertilize the soil with their dung and disperse seeds over large distances

Miami's skyline in November 1925, at the height of the Florida land boom

How Dreams of Buried Pirate Treasure Enticed Americans to Flock to Florida During the Roaring Twenties

1925 marked the peak of the Florida land boom. But false advertising and natural disasters thwarted many settlers’ visions of striking it rich in the land of sunshine

People gather on Kaanapali Beach, a popular tourist destination near Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2024.

Destinations Hit by Natural Disasters Need Tourists Back—but Maybe Not in the Same Way as Before

Places like Maui and Asheville, North Carolina, rebuilding after wildfires and hurricanes, are doing so with a mind to sustainable tourism

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