Articles

Stocking Up: Uncovering the Secrets to the Best Broth

What do the experts recommend you do to get the most flavorful soup possible?

January 22, 2013

After Millennia of Heavy Use, Mercury Gets the Boot

From an Elixir of Life to the Philosopher’s Stone, mercury’s long legacy is coming close to an end

January 22, 2013

Watch Jupiter “Kiss” the Moon Tonight

Tonight, night sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere can see Jupiter pass less than a finger’s width away from the waxing Moon

January 21, 2013

Inauguration Day 2013

All you need to know for the day: where to eat, rest and what to see

January 21, 2013

“The Grave Looked So Miserable”

January 18, 2013

The Gory Details of Artist Katrina van Grouw’s Unfeathered Birds

A British artist, with experience in ornithology, explains how she created anatomical drawings of 200 different species of birds for a new book

January 18, 2013

At Night, Giant Fields of Burning Natural Gas Make North Dakota Visibile From Space

Locals have a new nickname for their state. North Dakota: “Kuwait on the Prairie”

January 18, 2013

A Lucky Two Percent of People Have a Gene for Stink-Free Armpits

But a new study finds most of them still use deodorant

January 18, 2013

Inauguration History

That Time a Chicken Crashed Nixon’s Inaugural Ball and Other Crazy Inaugural Tales

Ten quirky moments from inaugural history, including presidential lassoing

January 18, 2013

What to Eat—or Not—in Peru

The ceviche carts and meat grills are colorful pieces of scenery, but eating a cherimoya or a sweet and starchy lucuma could be the truest taste of Peru

January 17, 2013

Jicky, the First Modern Perfume

Tfirst fragrance to incorporate synthetic ingredients and natural extracts, making it one of the most significant perfumes in the history of scent design

January 17, 2013

Researchers Discover New Method of Barnacle Sex

Upending 150 years of theory, scientists observed that some barnacles can capture sperm from the water for reproduction

January 17, 2013

Can a Buzzing Fork Make You Lose Weight?

HapiFork, a utensil that slows down your eating, is one of a new wave of gadgets designed to help you take control of your health

January 17, 2013

Events January 18-20: A Multicultural Festival, the Voices of Emancipation and the Smithsonian Staff’s Best Photos

This week, travel around the world in one museum, celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation and see the world through the Smithsonian staff’s eyes

January 17, 2013

New Study Suggests Crabs Can Feel Pain After All

Most of us assume that crustaceans can’t feel pain—but new research suggests otherwise

January 16, 2013

Plants Flower Nearly a Month Earlier Than They Did A Century Ago

In 2012, many plants in the eastern U.S. flowered earlier than in any other year on record

January 16, 2013

Black Carbon May Contribute Almost as Much as Carbon Dioxide to Global Warming

Black carbon’s role in driving warming is much higher than previously thought

January 16, 2013

Inauguration History

Who Were the Six Native American Chiefs in Teddy Roosevelt’s Inaugural Parade?

Another inauguration, another opportunity to learn more about the men whose presence shocked the country

January 16, 2013

Brits Are Allowed To Insult Each Other Once More

For the past 27 years, it’s been against the law for Brits to insult each other

January 16, 2013

War and Peace of Mind for Ulysses S. Grant

With the help of his friend Mark Twain, Grant finished his memoirs—and saved his wife from an impoverished widowhood—just days before he died

January 16, 2013