Articles

The Ness of Brodgar is on the largest of the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland.

Archaeologists Uncover Massive Stone Age Complex in Scotland

A 5,000-year old temple complex may have been the centre of Stone Age British culture

Rogue Ales is planning on brewing a new beer from beard yeast.

Brewmaster Makes Beer From His Beard Yeast

Most fermenting species of yeast are found on animals, insects and rotting fruit, so cultivating yeast from a person's body might not be that far-fetched

The Shanghai Quartet will return to the Freer to kick off its 19th season.

Events October 9-11: Short Films, Chef Demonstrations and a Shanghai Quartet

This week at the Smithsonian, daily screenings, the best of American cuisine and new arrangements of Chinese folk songs

Are You an Expert? If Not, Forget the 4-Hour Work Week

The seemingly too-good-to-be-true 4-hour workweek has a few glaring caveats

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Curiouser and Curiouser

The fourth puzzle is now unlocked. Have at it!

“The Duke” is the official football of the NFL

How Did the Pigskin Get Its Shape?

American football may have evolved from soccer and rugby, but it turns out that the football was never truly designed, it just sort of happened

Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors original label featured a topless cowgirl (left) who got a fringed bolero in 1963.

As a Matter of Fact: Jockeys, Tartans and Cowboy Glam

The real stories behind some fashion fads and classics hold some surprising twists

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Patient, Heal Thyself

Cutting-edge research in regenerative medicine suggests that the future of health care may lie in getting the body to grow new parts and heal itself.

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The Fall of Domino Dinosaurs

A delicately-balanced domino setup replays the end of the Age of Dinosaurs

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Sinfully Delicious Apples That You Should Never Try to Eat

Inspired by the work of Cornell scientists, Los Angeles-based Jessica Rath creates sculptures and photographs of the autumn fruit

New research indicates that the influenza virus can jump from humans to pet animals, raising the possibility of dangerous mutations.

Can You Give the Flu To Your Dog or Cat?

New research indicates that the influenza virus can jump from humans to pet animals, raising the possibility of dangerous mutations

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The Moment of Clarity

Some good news and some bad news from the Puzzle Master

British Architects Plan to Build a House Entirely From Waste

England will soon begin construction on its first building built entirely from waste

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Ask Smithsonian 2017

What (or Who) Caused the Great Chicago Fire?

The true story behind the myth of Mrs. O'Leary and her cow

A black mamba strikes

Black Mamba Venom Beats Morphine as a Painkiller

Black mambas' toxicity turns out to have applications other than rodent-killing

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Predictions From The Father of Science Fiction

Hugo Gernsback's predictions give us a look at the most radical of technological utopianism from the 1920s

A headless Haplocanthosaurus, laid out at the Utah Field House of Natural History.

Haplocanthosaurus–A Morrison Mystery

Without a skull, determining the dinosaur's relationships is difficult

Tungsten carbide drill bits will grind through miles of ultra-hard igneous seafloor rock in hopes of reaching the mantle.

New Project Aims to Drill to the Earth’s Mantle, 3.7 Miles Down

Scientists aim to reach the mantle and bring back rock samples for the first time in human history

Mrs. Judo tells the story of the living legend, Keiko Fukuda.

Events October 5-7: Mrs. Judo, Staring at the Sun and Chamber Society Music

This weekend, a 99-year old judo legend, a scientist who studies the sun and a season-opener with the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.

Skull fragments from a 2-year-old child (exterior view, top left; interior view, top right) that died 1.5 million years ago contain evidence of anemia. The blood disorder can lead to very porous bone (bottom left, right).

Fossils Reveal Earliest Known Case of Anemia in Hominids

2-year-old child that lived 1.5 million years ago suffered from the blood disorder, which may suggest that hominids by this time were regularly eating meat

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