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Articles

The Ichthyornis is a toothed bird that links birds with reptiles.

The “Sistine Chapel of Evolution” Is in New Haven, Connecticut

Charles Darwin never visited the Yale museum, but you can, and see for yourself the specimens that he praised as the best evidence for his theory

When Dinosaurs Roamed the (Not Yet) Petrified Forest

Recent surprise discoveries at the national park have prompted a complete rethinking about the creatures of the Jurassic Era

Astrophysicist Kip Thorne dared to dream of a machine to find gravitational waves.

Think Big

The Detection of Gravitational Waves Was a Scientific Breakthrough, but What’s Next?

Scientists are sitting on top of the world after this monumental discovery and are eager to keep exploring the universe

Breaking Ground

How the Green Book Helped African-American Tourists Navigate a Segregated Nation

Listing hotels, restaurants and other businesses open to African-Americans, the guide was invaluable for Jim-Crow era travelers

Conestoga (AT 54) at San Diego, circa January 1921

With the Discovery of the USS Conestoga, Researchers Have Solved a Mystery That Was Nearly 100 Years Old

Even a century later, the news has brought relief to the families of the sailors who went down with their ship

Jeremy Scott (United States, born 1975) for Adidas, Boots, Spring/Summer 2013.

Take A Trip Through 300 Years of Men’s Fashion

At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, a new exhibition highlights 200 styles, from military uniforms to punk jackets

Neurospora crassa, or red bread mold

Future of Energy

Could Mold Power the Batteries of the Future?

Researchers have discovered how to use a fungus to create materials that could be used to make more sustainable lithium-ion batteries

Reindeer races at the Sami Easter Festival.

In Northern Norway, Reindeer Racing and a “Joik” Singing Showdown Welcome in Spring

The Sami Easter Festival blends old and new traditions in Lappland’s northern reaches

America's musical highway is located on Route 66 near Albuquerque, New Mexico.

If You Drive The Right Speed, This Musical Highway Will Play You a Song

This stretch of Route 66 sings—literally

TEFAF 2016 - Robbig

Where Museums Go to Shop for Rare Works of Art

In the south of Holland, a Dutch city plays host to the art world’s biggest collectors

Maya Varma won $150,000 as one of the first place winners in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition.

How a High School Senior Won $150,000 By Inventing a $35 Medical Device

When Maya Varma learned an expensive diagnostic tool is rare in the developing world, she decided to build her own

Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia river, Washington

The Grand Coulee Powers On, 75 Years After Its First Surge of Electricity

A look back at how the powerful dam came to be

Caja De Memoria Viva II: Constancia Clemente-Colon by Adrian "Viajero" Roman

Every Three Years, Artists Compete to Be On View at the National Portrait Gallery. Here Are the Winners

The 2016 show conveys an intensity, as if the artists and their subjects are demanding a conversation on the complex issues of our times

Zacharia Muinde of Map Kibera Trust shows teachers and students their school's page on Open Schools Kenya, a mapping project that helps residents find information on local schools.

Age of Humans

DIY Cartographers Are Putting Slums on the Literal Map

When a community makes its way onto a map, it’s that much harder to deny, say activists.

Stalactites hang inside of Australia's Jenolan Caves, each one a record of Earth's past.

Caves Can Now Help Scientists Trace Ancient Wildfires

But the chemical clues for fire add an unexpected snarl for researchers using those same caves to track climate change

Ask Smithsonian: Why Does My Nose Run When It’s Cold?

The nose knows that runny flows are necessary in the cold

When Robots Take Our Jobs, Should Everyone Still Get a Paycheck?

A concept called universal basic income is gaining traction as a way to help people deal with machines taking over the job market

On March 24, 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Harper v. Virginia Board of Electors, that poll taxes for any level of election were unconstitutional.

Breaking Ground

Recalling an Era When the Color of Your Skin Meant You Paid to Vote

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of a ruling that made the poll tax unconstitutional

Pneumatics allow the material to change shape.

A New Material Could Make Medical Devices That Expand and Collapse

Harvard researchers develop a new origami-inspired material that changes shape

A Jodhpur court artist painted “Three Aspects of the Absolute,” illustrating the universe’s creation according to the Nath sect. Completed in 1823, the 3.5-by-5-foot painting accompanies the manuscript Nath Charit, a part of the Mehrangarh Museum’s Jodhpur Royal Collection.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: India

Hatha Yoga Inspired Abstract Art a Century Before Rothko

Paintings recently discovered in Jodhpur’s royal palace depict Nath yogis’ understanding of the cosmos

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