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Articles

Why Carl Sagan is Truly Irreplaceable

No one will ever match his talent as the “gatekeeper of scientific credibility”

Everybody in Almost Every Language Says “Huh”? HUH?!

What makes this utterance the “universal word”?

How Did Computers Uncover J.K. Rowling’s Pseudonym?

Forensic linguistics can use powerful programs to track written text back to its author

Invitees to the museum’s grand reopening in 2008 admire the newly restored flag.

Previewing the Smithsonian’s Plans for the 200th Anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner

And at the same time, the American History Museum celebrates its 50th birthday

Which Animal is the Smartest, How Did Fingernails Evolve and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Beautiful and Eerie Photographs of Starlings in Flight

Photographer Richard Barnes captures the mesmerizing geometric patterns created by flocks of European starlings

Nicaragua stands to lose around one million acres of rainforest and wetlands if the new canal is built.

New Research

Nicaragua Plans to Bisect the Country With a Massive Canal

The canal would cause “tragic devastation” to both the country’s natural heritage and indigenous communities, scientists say

New Research

Your Dog Can Tell From Your Voice If You’re Happy or Sad

New fMRI research shows that dogs’ brains are specially equipped to process human voices, and respond differently based on our emotions

The U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center has developed a prototype for pizza that could be included in soldiers' field rations.

Ultimate Survival Food: Military-Engineered Pizza That’s Good For Three Years

Army scientists have come up with a recipe for a long-lasting pie that can be stored at room temperature

Plumes of steam rise up from many spots along the Firehole River in Yellowstone National Park.

New Research

Yellowstone Belches Ancient Helium

Gas stored in the Earth’s crust for hundreds of millions of years is released by volcanic hotspot

A pigeon trap, on view at the Air and Space Museum, used by Nobel Prize winners Penzias and Wilson to remove the birds roosting in the radio antenna's large horn.

Think Big

How Two Pigeons Helped Scientists Confirm the Big Bang Theory

For decades, astronomers had debated how the universe began. Then, in 1964, they had their “Eureka!” moment

An artist's rendition of the Big Bang.

What Astronomers Are Still Discovering About the Big Bang Theory

A half-century after it was confirmed, the theory still yields new secrets

In comparison to this cell, those used for solitary confinement often lack even a barred doorway, further limiting exposure to others.

The Science of Solitary Confinement

Research tells us that isolation is an ineffective rehabilitation strategy and leaves lasting psychological damage

A room furnished according to Poe's "The Philosophy of Furniture" for a 1959 exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum

Edgar Allan Poe, Interior Design Critic

What scared the author of ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’? Bad design.

Why Was Beyonce Not Cool Enough for the Smithsonian’s New “Cool” Exhibit?

When two scholars decided to pick 100 of the coolest Americans, it got dicey; here’s why

Five years ago, a team of scientists in Iceland, drilling deep within the Earth’s crust, hit upon molten rock.

Can Volcanic Magma Power The Future?

Scientists in Iceland have figured out how to create geothermal energy from super-hot molten rock

A new exhibition explores how failure relates to success.

Why It’s Time to Show Failure Some Respect

An Irish exhibition titled “Fail Better” argues that flubs make success possible

A pair of Ammonite fossils, about 4 inches across, within a limestone bed very close to the Permian-Triassic boundary.

New Research

How Long Does Mass Extinction Take?

By figuring out the timing and rate of the world’s most massive extinction 252 million years ago, scientists hope to figure out how such lethal events work

The New York Stock Exchange trading floor in 1963.

New Research

How Stress Hormones Impact the Behavior of Investors

Cortisol, a natural hormone, has been found to rise during times of market volatility and make people more risk-averse

David Datuna's "Portrait of America" is the first artwork in the world to use Google Glass technology.

Seeing Art Through Google Glass

David Datuna became the first artist to incorporate the technology into a public art piece; now, “Portrait of America” is coming to the Smithsonian

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