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Articles

The Melitta haemorrhoidalis bee, collected from Wotton-under-Edge, England, requires patches of bellflowers to make its nests.

Bees and Wasps in Britain Have Been Disappearing For More Than a Century

Changes in agricultural practices since the 19th century may be a major culprit in the pollinators’ decline

G. Wayne Clough

Anthropocene

Why Engineering Will Be Vital in a Changing Climate

Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough offers personal insights on the realities of climate change and the best ways for society to adapt

This 1897 calendar is brought to you by parading cats.

After 12/13/14, What Are the Next Fun Dates for Math Lovers?

Sequential integers are a bit boring, anyhow. Here are some more exciting sequences to celebrate over the next 89 years

Mid-century Santa and Mrs. Claus on candy canes skis.

The Evolving Face of Santa, As Seen in the Smithsonian’s Vast Collections

A look into Smithsonian’s vast archives reveals that Father Christmas tends to get a makeover with every generation that embraces him

Lab-grown beef—it could be dinner.

Five Animal Products Scientists Can Now Grow In a Lab

In early experiments, scientists are growing meat in vitro and bioengineering yeast for dairy

Plastic trash collected from the world's oceans.

New Research

The Ocean Contains Over Five Trillion Pieces of Plastic Weighing More than 250,000 Tons

These frightening figures represent the most robust estimate of marine plastic pollution calculated to date

Sunrise at Red Rocks Park in Colorado

When America Invested in Infrastructure, These Beautiful Landmarks Were the Result

Explore eight of the Works Progress Administration’s most impressive structures.

The town of Portelo, in the shadow of the Pico do Fogo volcano, is now all but gone.

Trending Today

A Volcano on Cape Verde Is Wiping Out Whole Towns

An eruption at the Pico do Fogo volcano has forced 1,200 people to evacuate

Show Us the Holiday Decorations in Your Neighborhood

What does the holiday season look like in your community? Upload a photo of the best light displays, Christmas trees, menorahs and other festive scenes

Enthusiasts examining the patch for NROL-35 think the trident, fire and breeze through the character’s hair might represent the elements—water, fire and wind. “What that has to do with the actual payload, however, is anyone’s guess,” says space historian Robert Pearlman.

The Creepy, Kitschy and Geeky Patches of US Spy Satellite Launches

There may be method to the madness behind the outlandish designs of the National Reconnaissance Office mission patches

The first crop for Local Roots Farms to grow is lettuce.

Future of Energy

Turning Shipping Containers Into Urban Farms

In a clever recycling experiment, the startup Local Roots Farms is growing organic, hydroponic produce in America’s food deserts

Kids in a small Nigerian village line up to learn at the Hello Hub.

How Do Kids Learn Where There Are No Teachers? It May Take a Village…Computer

A non-profit called Projects for All has a plan for educating children without schools: Turn them loose on outdoor computer kiosks in their community

Segah, a male belly dancer, performs in a gaudy nightclub off Istanbul's Istiklal Street

Inside the World of Istanbul’s Male Belly Dancers

The nation’s shifting views toward homosexuality have opened the market for a centuries-old tradition

German-American game developer Ralph Baer, in 2009, showing the prototype of the first games console.

Remembering the “Father of Video Games,” Innovator Ralph Baer

The lab, where the inventor of the video game and the electronic game Simon, goes on view at the American History Museum next summer

British fashion photographer Rankin has a new book out featuring collaborations with makeup artist Andrew Gallimore.

Fashion Photographer Rankin Has A New Book of Models in Wild Makeup

The British photographer reveals some unusual new portraits, with a hodgepodge of influences

Candy Crush Soda Saga brings classical music to tablets, smartphones and computers around the world.

Why the Composer of Candy Crush Soda Saga is the New King of Video Game Music

You may have never heard of Johan Holmstrom, but millions listen to his music every day

This airport shuttle can make a round-trip run on the waste produced by a single person in one year.

This Commuter Bus Runs On Poop

A U.K.-based biogas plant has developed a 40-seater than runs on converted sewage and food waste

Frost on a sprig of European mistletoe.

Medical Mistletoe: Can the Holiday Plant Really Fight Cancer?

In some countries, cancer patients take mistletoe injections to ease symptoms, but the exact effects of the extracts are still up for debate

The Shape of Things to Come, Antarctic Sound, February 2010: "As we sailed with the land to our backs, I saw this bright, jagged iceberg with a dark-blue sea," writes Seaman.

Art Meets Science

These Photos Capture a Decade of Change at Earth’s Poles

From courting penguins to moody icebergs, photojournalist Camille Seaman shares her personal journey through polar habitats

This year, the Solar Cloth Company unveiled the world's first solar fabric tensile structure parking lot in Cambridge, UK.

Future of Energy

A Football Stadium Covered in This Solar Cloth Could Power a Small Town

Perry Carroll, founder of the Solar Cloth Company, has integrated super-thin photovoltaics into flexible fabric

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