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The founders of NecropSynth use SketchUp Pro to design the external shell of a 3D printed model of a rat.

The Innovative Spirit

How a Cheap Plastic Rat Could Change Biology Class

With a couple of 3D printers, a husband and wife team is building accurate replicas of rats that could one day eliminate the need for dissection specimens

Smithsonian geologist Elizabeth Cottrell (right) helps undergraduate intern Kellie Wall examine a sample of Earth’s interior. Cottrell co-directs Natural History Research Experiences, a program funded by the National Science Foundation that trains 18 students every summer.

Commentary

Hey Scientist, Who Are You Mentoring this Summer?

The director of education at the National Museum of Natural History delivers a clarion call to all scientists: Be a Mentor. Raise Up the Next Generation

The Stars and Stripes are enjoying an extraordinary status in American public culture.

Americans Are Not the Only Ones Obsessed With Their Flag

From the mild-mannered Danes to crazed soccer fans, people all over the world go nuts for their national colors

Here you see the tweeting pothole device in place.

The Tweeting Potholes of Panama

In Panama City, potholes have taken to Twitter to ask for repairs

The Very Reverend June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury, takes a selfie with a laminated copy of the 1215 Magna Carta that is on display at Salisbury Cathedral.

How Magna Carta Went Viral

In a world before the printing press, how did news of the famous document make the rounds?

Chasseur, Chasseurs à Cheval de la Garde Impériale, France

Relive the Battle of Waterloo With These Astonishing Portraits of War Reenactors

Photographer Sam Faulkner shoots a portrait series that gives a face to the more than 200,000 soldiers who fought in the historic conflict

An open source cardboard dino from KitRex stands outside the New York Hall of Science during the World Maker Faire in September 2014.

The Innovative Spirit

What Is a Maker Faire, Exactly?

Billed as the world’s greatest show and tell, the DIY extravaganza might just make a maker out of you

New research suggests hawkmoths, like the one pictured above, slow down their brain's ability to process light in order to see at night.

New Research

Hovering Hawkmoths Slow Down Their Brains to See in the Dark

The insects’ night vision appears to be finely tuned to the movement of their flower food sources

Anthropocene

Earth’s Oxygen Levels Can Affect Its Climate

Models of past eras show that oxygen can influence global temperature and humidity as its concentration changes

Ask Smithsonian: What Makes Skunk Spray Smell So Terrible?

When the omnivorous cat-size mammals take aim, the malodorous spray can hit with pin-point accuracy up to 20 feet away

Hammerhead sharks off the coast of Cocos Island, Costa Rica. The island is known for its incredible terrain and marine life, and is said to be the inspiration for Isla Nublar, the place Michael Crichton created as the setting for Jurassic Park—and now Jurassic World.

Where to Visit the Real Jurassic World After You See the Film

The movie’s filming locations and inspiration offer lush vegetation, stunning views and plenty of sharks

Probiotics for cancer detection

The Same Probiotic That’s In Your Yogurt Could Detect Liver Cancer

Take a dose of this bacteria, genetically altered by scientists at MIT, and your urine will glow if liver cancer is present

This image, Elephants at Twilight, Botswana, 1989, writes Lanting, "is my homage to the primeval qualities of southern Africa's wilderness, the grandeur of elephants, and the precious nature of water in a land of thirst."

Wildlife Photographer Frans Lanting on the Difference Between Taking Pictures and Making Photographs

The National Geographic photographer has been described as having the “mind of a scientist, the heart of a hunter, and the eyes of a poet”

City Hall to Go is among the innovations the Office of New Urban Mechanics has developed in Boston to make services more accessible to residents.

City Governments Are Collaborating With Startups, and Acting Like Ones Themselves

By establishing offices that promote innovation, cities are taking more risks than ever before

A mosaic image shows magnetic activity on the solar disk, which is surrounded by the relatively faint corona.

New Research

A “Mangrove Forest” of Magnetism May Help Heat the Sun’s Corona

New simulations might explain why the sun’s atmosphere is bizarrely millions of degrees hotter than its surface

Six Ways to See Bioluminescence in the World’s Oceans

From shimmering squid in Japan to illuminated clams in France, here are some of the top spots for basking in nature’s glow

Stanford University Racing Team leader Sebastian Thrun celebrates with his team mates as their entry named "Stanley" is the first to cross the finish line at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) 2005 Grand Challenge in Primm, Nevada.

Does the Future Hold the Prospect of Outsourcing the Human Brain?

Bold thinker Sebastian Thrun is receiving a Smithsonian Award this week, so he regaled us with some of his ideas for changing the world

Scientists found what appear to be red blood cells in this claw from an unidentified theropod dinosaur.

New Research

Dinosaur Soft Tissue Recovered From Eight Cretaceous-Era Fossils

New sampling methods yielded cells and fibers from relatively ordinary fossils, broadening the possibilities for paleontology

A prison cemetery in Huntsville, Texas, where many executed inmates have been buried.

Support for the Death Penalty May Be Linked to Belief in Pure Evil

People who think evil exists in the world are more likely to demonize criminals, regardless of their character traits

This small adhesive pad tracks skin temperature and changes color if there's a problem.

Soon Our Phones Will Be Telling Us to Drink More Water

A new crop of health wearables aims to keep users hydrated

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