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Articles

Coffee Table by Wendell Castle, 1958

Wendell Castle, The Man Who Made Furniture Dance, Dead at 85

The haunting sculpture Ghost Clock is a favorite Smithsonian artwork and a powerful example of the artist’s skill and craft

Healthcare providers leave a village after completion of a culling operation in response to a bird flu outbreak in Budgebudge, West Bengal, India.

The Next Pandemic

The Pandemic Everyone Fears Is Flu In the Wrong Place At the Wrong Time

Governments should constantly be preparing for outbreaks, instead of just hastily responding to threats as they arise

Image from the cover of Emma Byrne's new book, Swearing is Good For You.

The Science of Swearing

A new book explains the neuroscience of why we swear—and how it can sway our listeners

Secretary Adams and his wife Ruth contemplate his official portrait, which to this day resides at the Smithsonian Institution "Castle" Building.

Smithsonian Leader Who Helped Launch the American Indian Museum Dies at 91

With a mission to create a diverse and dynamic Smithsonian, Robert McCormick Adams is remembered as an intense but humble leader

A printed ring through the color-change process

These 3D-Printed Objects Can Turn Any Color You Want

MIT researchers hope a process that uses a special photochromic dye to change an object’s color in response to light will one day reduce waste

Jozsef and Merrylu Richter perform at the 42nd International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo last weekend.

After Claims of Animal Cruelty, Can the Circus Survive?

At the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo, an unlikely figure is leading the charge to transform the circus for the 21st century

We've got you covered.

The Beijing Winter Olympics

Five Whimsical Words of the Winter Olympics, from ‘Skeleton’ to ‘Salchow’

The sports are hard. The words are harder. We’re here to help

The spandex in Under Armor suits U.S. speedskaters will wear has a slightly gritty texture, which designers claim makes them more aerodynamic by breaking the vacuum that can form around skaters’ arms and legs.

Winter Olympics

Look at the High-Tech Gear Olympians Will Be Wearing

From jackets heated with electronic ink to personal airbags for skiers, these are some of the most innovative wearables you’ll be seeing in PyeongChang

Parade of volunteers for Waffen-SS Division “Galicia” in Buczacz, 1943

When Mass Murder Is an Intimate Affair

A new book reveals how neighbors turned on neighbors in an Eastern European border town

The executioner Franz Schmidt executing Hans Fröschel on May 18, 1591. This drawing in the margins of a court record is the only surviving fully reliable portrait of Franz Schmidt.

The Executioners Who Inherited Their Jobs

For centuries, carrying out executions in France was a family affair

Close-up view of the of jawbone, showing details of the crown topography and dental features.

New Research

Earliest Human Remains Outside Africa Were Just Discovered in Israel

If accepted as Homo sapien, the jaw-dropping jawbone would push back the human exodus out of Africa by nearly 100,000 years

New research concludes that there are many “Lost Einsteins” in America – children who had the ability to become inventors but didn’t because of where they were born.

Expose Talented Kids From Low-Income Familes To Inventors and They’re More Likely To Invent

A new analysis sheds light on how we might better serve America’s “Lost Einsteins”

Music might be more universal than we thought.

New Research

Your Brain Knows What Songs Are For, No Matter Where They Came From

Researchers find that people easily recognize lullabies and dance songs from around the world

Dr. Kevin Olival and the USAID PREDICT wildlife team surveying areas for bat trapping at the entrance to a cave in Thailand.

The Next Pandemic

Can Virus Hunters Stop the Next Pandemic Before It Happens?

A global project is looking to animals to map the world’s disease hotspots. Are they going about it the right way?

An Italian marble sculpture of William Pitt the Younger as the Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpents Fox and North by Pieratoni (called ’Sposino’), c.1790

The Ugliest Sculpture Ever, Says the Portrait Gallery’s Director

A bizarre sculpture of a baby Hercules strangling two snakes set this art historian on a course of discovery

This urn-shaped finial sat atop the courthouse roof until the cupola collapsed during the fire.

Five Places Where You Can Still See Remnants of the Great Chicago Fire

Though the city was completely rebuilt within two years, you can still see evidence of the fire that destroyed it

Ice skates signed and worn by Sonja Henie, the Norwegian figure skater who was instrumental in popularizing the sport. Her impressive array of spins and jumps won her three Olympic gold medals.

The First Ice Skates Weren’t for Jumps and Twirls—They Were for Getting Around

Carved from animal shin bones, these early blades served as essential winter transport

The fruit that bursts with contradictions.

The Toxic Rise of the California Strawberry

Growing this popular fruit year-round has long relied on harmful chemicals. Is there another way?

A flag with Korean peninsula unification symbol at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Winter Olympics

Is Reunification Possible for North and South Korea?

North Korea has taken up the South’s invitation to the Olympics, but a quick look at the history suggests that unity is not as close as it may seem

Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria

This corner of Germany is the ultimate cold-weather playground, a place where sledding down a mountain, or knocking back beers are equally worthy pursuits

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