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Articles

Babies Aren’t So Moral After All, Unless We Engineer Them That Way

The latest research on the “Do babies have an innate moral compass?” question indicates that no, they do not

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Where Has the Heat Been Most Oppressive This Summer?

This year is shaping up to be among the warmest on record—not only in the United States but worldwide. Here are a few of the hottest hotspots

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These Rainbow-colored Transparent Ants Are What They Eat

Droplets of food coloring and an exotic species of Indian ant made for a stunning set of photographs

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Scientists Make Progress Towards a Male Contraceptive Pill

A new molecule originally developed to fight cancer looks to be a promising compound in the search for a male contraceptive

A 3D-printed model of Airbus’s future concept plane for 2050

Aircraft Design Inspired by Nature and Enabled by Tech

In 2050, Airbus hopes to fly you around in a see-through jet shaped like a bird skeleton, with morphing seats, spa treatments, and virtual entertainment

Soft tissue traces of the ankylosaur Tarchia. Black asterisks denote large osteoderms, scale impressions are pointed out by an arrowhead and small ossicles are identified by the arrow.

An In-Depth Look at Ankylosaur Armor

An exceptional ankylosaur preserves the position of ancient armor

The Freer Gallery closes its 17th annual “Made in Hong Kong” film festival with Chor Yuen’s Killer Clans Friday night at 7:00.

Events August 17-19: Killer Clans, Stargazing, and Video Games

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Largest 3-D Map of the Sky Released

Researchers have released the largest 3-D map of the sky with plans for further research into dark energy, quasars and the evolution of large galaxies

The skulls and necks of Majungasaurus (top) and Carnotaurus (bottom) compared.

Carnotaurus Had a Hefty Neck

Could the hefty neck of Carnotaurus explain why this dinosaur had puny arms?

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Yesterday’s Tomorrows: How a Smithsonian Exhibit I Never Saw Changed My Life

Meet the historians who pioneered scholarship of retro-futurism

The Professor Molchanov sails off the coast of Svalbard.

Arctic Algae Infiltration Demonstrates the Effects of Climate Change

A sudden shift seen off the coast of Svalbard demonstrates how the world’s ecosystems will be reformed by persistent climate change

Starfish Prime 0 to 15 seconds after detonation, photographed from Maui Station, July 9, 1962.

Going Nuclear Over the Pacific

A half-century ago, a U.S. military test lit up the skies and upped the ante with the Soviets

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Archaeologists Excavate Death Pit, Finding Hundreds of Sacrificed Soldiers in Denmark

Archaeologists are excavating hundreds of skeletons from the boggy swamps, and the remains belong to men who all sacrificed around the time of Christ

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What 9 Famous Chefs and Food Writers Are Cooking to Honor Julia Child’s 100th Birthday

As these luminaries will attest, there’s a lot more to Julia than Beef Bourguignon

An artist’s vision of a Neanderthal and her baby. If the Neanderthal lived 47,000 to 65,000 years ago, her baby might have been the result of breeding with a human.

Neanderthal and Human Matings Get a Date

New research shows modern humans bred with Neanderthals 47,000 to 65,000 years ago as our ancestors left Africa

A crowd gathers in Times Square in 1945. Since then, we’ve added a few more people to the population.

A Different Kind of Pi Day – the U.S. Population Hits π x 100,000,000

The U.S. Census Bureau announced yesterday that our population has hit one of math’s favorite landmarks

Imagine going from the podium, to the pickle aisle.

After London Many Olympians Find Real Life Hard to Swallow

You’re not the only one with post Olympics blues, athletes have it way worse

A new technology harnesses the energy in wastewater to produce electricity.

Could Sewage Be Our Fuel of the Future?

A new way of treating wastewater uses bacteria to produce electricity, potentially solving a pair of environmental problems

Julia Child’s Kitchen on display at the NMAH is exactly as it was in Child’s home in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1961.

Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

Child’s kitchen is back at the American History Museum in time for what would have been her 100th birthday

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The Scene of Deduction: Drawing 221B Baker Street

From pen-and-ink sketches to digital renderings, generations of Sherlock Holmes fans have undertaken drafting the detective’s famous London flat

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