Articles

New Research

Mosquitoes’ Sperm Can Detect Smells

Mosquitoes’ individual sperm have scent-detecting sensors

February 5, 2014

Bumblebees Can Fly Into Thin Air

Once thought to be unimpressive fliers, bumblebees may be able to summit Mount Everest, new research suggests

February 4, 2014

New Research

Human Faces Might Only Express Four Basic Emotions

How many faces can you make? Offhand, you might guess ten, or twenty, but researchers now say…it’s really only four

February 4, 2014

Cool Finds

At Auction: One of the Only Cameras to Ever Make it Back From the Moon

James Irwin’s custom Hasselblad was one of the only cameras to make it back from the Moon… or was it?

February 4, 2014

Cool Finds

Korea Is Using a Kinect to Monitor Its Border

The Microsoft Kinect is at the center of a lively community that includes hackers, artists and, now, South Korea’s border patrol

February 4, 2014

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Why Does This Indonesian Volcano Burn Bright Blue?

Olivier Grunewald’s dramatic photos showcase blue flames—not blue lava—that result from burning sulfur

February 4, 2014

Cool Finds

Shopping Carts Are Way More Dangerous Than You Might Expect

There are a lot of things to fear in this world. Allow us to add another thing to that list: shopping carts

February 4, 2014

Trending Today

What Was the Internet Like the Day Facebook Was Born?

The web was already 15 years old. What else were we up to when The Facebook was born?

February 4, 2014

New Research

The “Pompeii of Animals” Shows Dinosaurs, Mammals and Early Birds in Their Death Throes

A lethal volcanic explosion is identified as the culprit behind a mysterious mass death of creatures that took place around 125 million years ago

February 4, 2014

Cool Finds

Psychiatric Records for African American Patients Are Rare, And This Hospital Has a Century’s Worth

Researchers are attempting to digitize and preserve the tens of thousands of patient records from the Central State Hospital

February 4, 2014

New Research

Third-Hand Smoke Is Dangerous, Too

Like a Virus, Nicotine Can Stick to Clothes And Surfaces for Days

February 4, 2014

Winter Olympics

A Primer on the Eight Olympic Events Debuting in Sochi

Study up on the rules and history of the latest competitions to make the Winter Games lineup

February 3, 2014

Mining Tar Sands Produces Much More Air Pollution Than We Thought

Research shows that emissions of a class of air pollutants are two to three orders of magnitude higher than previously calculated

February 3, 2014

Trending Today

California’s Crucial Reservoirs Are Running Low, And That’s Even Worse Than It Sounds

An ongoing drought has drained California dry

February 3, 2014

Cool Finds

It Takes Just Five Seconds to Find Out If You’re a Good Liar

But maybe don’t read too much into this test

February 3, 2014

Cool Finds

No One Knows Why Ancient Egyptians Built This 4,600-Year-Old Pyramid

The new pyramid joins the list of other mysterious step pyramids built before the Great Pyramid at Giza

February 3, 2014

Pay Purr Pet at Japan’s Cat Cafés

For a small fee, visitors can sip on drinks while surrounded by friendly felines

February 3, 2014

Art Meets Science

X-Ray Art: A Deeper Look at Everyday Objects

Brit Hugh Turvey adds his artistic touch to x-rays of suitcases, old shirts and a host of other subjects

February 3, 2014

Trending Today

The People Who Went to the Super Bowl Are Now a Little Bit More Deaf

Major sports games are loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss

February 3, 2014

New Research

You’re Probably Not Working Out Hard Enough to Actually Need that Gatorade

Water is all you need to replenish after a workout

February 3, 2014