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Hermit Crabs Avoid Conflict By Developing a Taste for Specific Types of Shells

As the crabs got older, their tolerance for shell diversity decreased, and they honed in on a single shell type they liked best

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The World’s Tallest Water Slide Is More Than 134 Feet Tall

Riders—who will descend in inflatable rafts of four rather than alone—will reach speeds of more than 65 miles per hour

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World’s Rivers and Streams Leak a Lot of Carbon Dioxide

Lakes and reservoirs take up more space, but rivers and streams release more of the greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, a new study finds

Elizabeth Mitchell’s new album for Smithsonian Folkways, The Sounding Joy, features new renditions of traditional American Christmas carols.

Revamp Your Christmas Playlist with These Unsung American Carols

Smithsonian Folkways’ “The Sounding Joy” features traditional Christmas tunes sung by folk legends Peggy Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Joan Osborne and more

For some people, like Staff Sgt. Dana Fernkas, having access to crucial information depends, in some part, on the typography and design of checklists and manuals.

Here Are NASA’s Top 19 Typography Tips

For some, the choice of font is actually a matter of life and death

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Fresh Brains Are Way Squishier Than You Thought

Brains are so soft that you can deform them with a touch

People Are More Likely to Pay Greed Forward Than Good Deeds

People have little incentive to be nice to one another unless they are part of a specific group that creates some sense of shared identity

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Why Men Tend To Have Bigger Noses Than Women

This also speaks to differences between modern humans and our ancient ancestors, since ancient humans had more muscle mass than we soft creatures of today

Six tons of ivory was destroyed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service workers.

Why is the U.S. Government Crushing Six Tons of Valuable Ivory?

Rather than sell the luxury item, the Fish and Wildlife Service thinks that they’ve found a new tactic to save elephants

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7 Epic Fails Brought to You By the Genius Mind of Thomas Edison

Despite popular belief, the inventor wasn’t the “Wiz” of everything

Some Kids Outgrow Their Synesthesia

It might be possible to be synesthetic as a kid, but then grow out of it

Women Can Act Aggressively, Too

Competition goes beyond feeling threatened by another woman’s looks and encompasses judgements about behaviors, too

This Camera Ball Creates a Panoramic Image When You Throw It in the Air

It’s unclear whether a $600 ball camera can be competitive in a market where most smart phones now have a “panoramic” function. But it is still nifty

Despite warming temperatures, the sea ice around Antarctica is increasing in extent.

Why Is Antarctica’s Sea Ice Growing As Temperatures Rise?

New research shows that the explanation for the counterintuitive growth of sea ice near the South Pole can be found blowing in the wind

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The 2013 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards Liveblog

Follow along as we celebrate the best in innovation

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Hear, For the First Time, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Curious “Viola Organista”

Based on da Vinci’s designs, a modern instrument maker built a viola organista

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This New Plane Seat Morphs to Make You and Your Seatmate More Comfortable

Shape-shifting seats with adjustable widths promise more choice for passengers, but aren’t they really a sneaky way to discriminate?

Is Vodka Gluten Free?

The search for gluten free alcohol can be tricky - and now a debate over spirits labeling might make it even trickier

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill by Yousuf Karsh, 1941

The Day Winston Churchill Lost His Cigar

Thanks to a gift of over 100 photographs, the National Portrait Gallery celebrates Yousuf Karsh’s iconic photography with an installation of 27 portraits

Reptiles Are Really Intelligent; We Were Just Giving Them the Wrong Tests

Now that scientists are coming up with new experiments and methods, they’re realizing that there’s a lot more to the reptile brain than they once thought

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