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Articles

A kissing bug with an attached radio transmitter at a private home in Texas.

New Research

How Tiny Trackers Could Help Humans Avoid Kissing Bugs’ Deadly Smooch

The insects, which spread Chagas disease, can now be tracked with miniature radios to stop the spread of illness

Hawaiian monk seals are the country's most endangered marine mammal. Now they face a tiny, but deadly, threat: Toxoplasma gondii.

How the Tiniest of Parasites is Taking Down the Mightiest of Monk Seals

Toxoplasmosis is now the number one disease threat to the recovery of this endangered marine mammal

We may see them as pests, but raccoons see humans as ripe for plundering. According to Suzanne MacDonald, they are "the only animal that would break into captivity because they think it’s a better deal."

How Humans Created the Ultimate Superpests

As urbanization continues to push wildlife to the brink, humans may need to reevaluate their role in habitat destruction

Sahkanush and Haykanush Stepanyan became experts at rugmaking while still teenagers.

Armenia

The Age-Old Tradition of Armenian Carpet Making Refuses to Be Swept Under the Rug

A new generation is emerging to craft the ancient rugs

The Tatev Monastery sits perched on a cliff above Vorotan Gorge, Armenia's largest gorge.

Armenia

How a Record-Breaking Aerial Tramway Helped Save a Centuries-Old Armenian Monastery

The world’s longest reversible cableway now carries an unprecedented number of visitors to this historic site

Before she tackled tuberculosis, Sabin helped rethink the lymphatic system and wrote an acclaimed anatomy textbook.

Florence Sabin Pioneered Her Way in Medical Science, Then Made Sure Other Women Could Do the Same

A scientist and so much more, she helped lay the groundwork for curing tuberculosis but still found time to promote women doctors

The National Zoo's female giant panda Mei Xiang, mother of three, will not give birth this summer.

Giant Panda Mei Xiang Will Not Give Birth

After a week and a half of waiting, the National Zoo confirms that Mei Xiang experienced a pseudopregnancy.

Rendering of the Tower of Voices

Building the Flight 93 Memorial’s Massive Chime Tower

The Tower of Voices, being erected in Pennsylvania this summer, will feature chimes on a scale unseen anywhere else in the world

The Boquera brothers (above, Fèlix) are the fourth generation in their family to work the sea off the Costa Brava of Catalonia.

Catalonia

How a Fallback to Historic Traditions Might Save Catalonia’s Red Shrimp Fishery

The Boquera brothers, two fishermen from the Costa Brava, are part an innovative management plan that combines science with maritime skills and knowledge

Graafian follicle, human ovary

How Artificial Ovaries Could Expand Fertility Options for Chemo Patients

Scientists have taken the next steps toward creating an alternative fertility preservation method using modified ovarian tissue

Forget Baguettes — Why In-the-Know Bread Lovers Should be Heading to the Caucasus (Recipe)

During a culinary research trip to the Republic of Georgia, a team of chefs tour backyard bakeries — and return with inspiration for their flatbread

Coming together for a solstice feast in ancient Peru.

How Feasting Rituals Help Shape Human Civilization

These transformative practices—and the cooperation they require—are a cornerstone of societies the world over

The giants and big heads have been a hit among Folklife Festival-goers, says performer Jesus Bach Marques. "They're amazed by our giants! For most of them, it's something really new."

Catalonia

For Hundreds of Years, Papier-Mâché Has Lent a Surreal Face to Catalan Culture

Street performers disguised as Giants and Big Heads blend reverence with ribaldry at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Sea Captains Carousing in Surinam

What Did the Founding Fathers Eat and Drink as They Started a Revolution?

They may not have been hosting a cookout, but they did know how to imbibe and celebrate

Izzy photographed with the two infants on her back on Friday, June 30.

National Zoo Reports Death of Infant Golden Lion Tamarin

The golden lion tamarin and its sibling were born on Friday, marking the first births of tamarins for the Zoo in a decade

The Pickup Truck’s Transformation From Humble Workhorse to Fancy Toy

From ‘rusty rattletraps’ to ‘big black jacked-up’ rides, the vehicles symbolize blue-collar identity while flaunting bourgeois prosperity

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