Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Articles

U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly (right) and his twin brother Mark attend a press conference ahead of NASA's "Year in Space" mission at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in 2015.

A Brief History of Twin Studies

As NASA dives into the data from astronaut twins, take a look back at the famous, and infamous, results we’ve seen from this popular research tool

Coober Pedy's Serbian Orthodox Church—owned by the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand—is just one of the city's otherworldly underground buildings.

Half of the Inhabitants of This Australian Opal Capital Live Underground

Unearth Coober Pedy, the Outback’s hidden city

Say hello to your little friends.

New Research

Virus Genes in Human DNA May, Surprisingly, Help Us Fight Infections

Bits of ancient viral invaders woven into the human genome seem to boost our immune system

Scientists keep finding new ways the brain can be deceived.

A New Way to Trick the Brain and Beat Jet Lag

For all its complexity, the human brain is not hard to deceive. Here are four studies where scientists have learned more about duping it

Jefferson, Washington and Hamilton came together during Washington’s tenure as president and worked, fought, compromised—and wrote—in the struggle to establish a nation.

The Laptops That Powered the American Revolution

Always on the go, the Founding Fathers waged their war of words from the mahogany mobile devices of their time

The hell-ant's fearsome fangs are on full display in this 3D false-color rendering of a Haidomyrmex scimitarus queen, produced by combining several hundred two-dimensional x-ray snapshots.

New Research

These Tiny Saber-Toothed Terrors Are Among the World’s Oldest Ants

Analysis of insects entombed in amber shows that the “hell ants” were among the first to diverge from the original ant-wasp ancestor

Explore the Magnificent and Mysterious Surface of the Moon in Pictures

At the National Air and Space Museum, beautiful images show how the moon’s pockmarked surface is rife with mystery

Velvalee Dickinson, suspected spy.

The Spy in the Doll Shop

The FBI was confounded by mysterious letters sent to South America, until they came across New York City proprieter Velvalee Dickinson

The FIFA World Football Museum opened in Zurich, Switzerland on Sunday.

Switzerland

These Five Objects Tell the Story of Soccer

Take an exclusive look inside the new FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich

A blooming Amorphophallus titanum corpse flower looms over visitors at the University of Basel botanical garden in November 2012.

What’s on Your Botanical Bucket List?

From rare orchids to grizzled desert plants, experts weigh in on which flora they most want to see before they die

Andreas, one of the farmers at Eigeralp.

Switzerland

Live Like a Swiss Alpine Cheesemaker for a Weekend

Get a taste of life in the Alps without the commitment

Scott Kelly works on the International Space Station during a nearly eight-hour spacewalk in November 2015.

What Happens to the Human Body in Space?

Data from astronauts who spent 340 days in orbit will add to almost 55 years of research on how low gravity sends Earthlings for a loop

Shipworms are destructive to driftwood and sunken relics alike, chewing through any exposed planks and destroying entire wreck sites in just years. But until recently, none had been found so far north in such cold waters.

Age of Humans

“Termites of the Sea” Found Munching Wood Near Arctic Shipwrecks

The shipworms found in Svalbard may signal an expansion due to ocean warming or be a new species

Portrait of Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin Was One-Fifth Revolutionary, Four-Fifths London Intellectual

The enterprising Philadelphian was late to adopt the revolutionary cause, but infused America with English ideals

Left to Right: Mitch Pileggi, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson and William B. Davis—there has been no official announcement about whether an 11th season will pick up where the recent cliffhanger left off.

I Want to Believe (In the Science of “The X-Files”)

In some scenes, the television show is theater of the absurd, but in others, you can bet the science is solid with biologist Anne Simon on the job

Dogs of the St. Bernard Hospice during a walk organized by their trainers with tourists.

Switzerland

A Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog

The canine’s evolution from hospice hound to household companion

Upton Sinclair, noted author and Democratic nominee for Governor, pictured speaking to a group in his campaign headquarters shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles.

Upton Sinclair Was a Socialist Candidate Who Succeeded Through Failure

The author’s 1934 bid to govern California came up short, but left a lasting mark on politics

Ennio Morricone, "Il Maestro"

Travel the World With Ennio Morricone’s Evocative Film Scores

Celebrate the maestro’s first Oscar with a musical trip across the continents

Nematodes (blue) wiggle inside a stalactite from a South African gold mine in this image taken with a microscope.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Inner Earth Is Teeming With Exotic Forms of Life

More than a mile below the surface, our planet supports diverse creatures that could give us clues about life across the solar system

This Morphing Mannequin Could Transform the Fashion Industry

Created by Hong Kong professor Allan Chan, iDummy can be programmed with any measurements

Page 460 of 1285