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Articles

Woolly rhinos may have used their flattened horns to sweep away snow and expose edible vegetation underneath.

Woolly Rhino May Have Been A Tibetan Native

When the Ice Age began, these large mammals spread out to northern Asia and Europe

Setting up a mining operation on an asteroid may be difficult

Destination: Moon or Asteroid? Part III: Resource Utilization Considerations

Setting up a mining operation on an asteroid may be difficult

Destination: Moon or Asteroid? Part III: Resource Utilization Considerations

Though it’s not quite as bustling as cosmopolitan Bogota or as picturesque as Medellin, Colombia’s third-largest city is the country’s economic and industrial hub.

Sugar and Spice in Colombia’s Alluring Cali

Candied treats and salsa music go hand in hand in this South American city high above the Cauca Valley

Marco Fidel Torres has been portraying Juan Valdez in Colombia’s Coffee Triangle for nearly a decade.

Will the Real Juan Valdez Please Stand Up?

Being Colombia’s most famous folk figure has its perks, even if you’re an impersonator

Scientists recently discovered the wild yeast that came to be used to brew lager beer.

Big Brew-ha-ha: Scientists Discover Lager’s Wild Yeast

Beer, a cornerstone of human civilization, owes its alcohol and flavor to yeast; one important variety made a long trans-Atlantic journey

People at an asteroid: What will they do there?

Destination: Moon or Asteroid? Part II: Scientific Considerations

A dinosaur you can pet

Blog Carnival #34: Dino Petting Zoo, Tyrannosaurus v. Triceratops and More

In this month’s roundup of the best of dino blogs, read about a dinosaur petting zoo, the 10 commandments of paleoart and much more

Martha, the last surviving member of the passenger pigeon species

Martha, the World’s Last Passenger Pigeon

97 years ago today, a once-ubiquitous bird species tragically went extinct

Could climate change (a drought in Tanzania) spark a violent conflict?

Does Climate Change Cause War?

The issue is more complex than recent headlines have indicated

The Great Pyramid: Built for the Pharaoh Khufu in about 2570 B.C., sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, and arguably the most mysterious structure on the planet

Inside the Great Pyramid

No structure in the world is more mysterious than the Great Pyramid. But who first broke into its well-guarded interior? When? And what did they find?

Randy Fertel takes friends on an insider tour that highlights New Orleans' "funky" soulfulness.

New Orleans Beyond Bourbon Street

From out-of-the-way jazz joints to po’ boy shacks, a native son shares his favorite haunts in the Big Easy

Impromptu jam sessions, including a gathering at Floyd, Virginia's Country Store, attract musicians and dancers raised on the raw and keening power of mountain music.

A Musical Tour Along the Crooked Road

Grab a partner. Bluegrass and country tunes that tell America’s story are all the rage in hilly southern Virginia

The Arab Spring uprisings tell only part of the story.

The Struggle Within Islam

Terrorists get the headlines, but most Muslims want to reclaim their religion from extremists

Every day California sea otters spend 10 to 12 hours hunting and consume nearly a third of their body weight.

Otters: The Picky Eaters of the Pacific

Could the California sea otters’ peculiar dietary habits be impeding their resurgence?

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Wild Things: Wildcats, Pigeons and More…

Cleaner wrasse fish, black widow spiders and even bananas made the news recently as part of the latest wildlife research

Roller Rover is a definitive example of the work that has made William Wegman one of the world's most widely known conceptual artists.

Fay Ray: The Supermodel Dog

As photographer William Wegman tells it, his cinnamon-gray Weimaraner wasn’t content to just sit and stay

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Letters

The Smithsonian collection of 8,000-plus instruments includes 5 by Stradivari.

Sound Scholarship

"It really is a miracle that he came in as good shape as he did," says taxidermist Paul Rhymer, who spent a month carrying out Owney's first restoration since he went on display.

Owney the Mail Dog

For nine years, Owney rode the rails and the wagons on top of mailbags as the mascot of the mailmen

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