Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Blogs

New research with rats indicates that mental activity can continue for 30 seconds after the heart stops beating—perhaps explaining out-of-body experiences.

A Last-Second Surge of Brain Activity Could Explain Near-Death Experiences

Near-death sightings of light at the end of a tunnel may be related to the 30 seconds of activity in rats’ brains after their hearts stop

None

What Can Old Menus From Hawaii Tell Us About Changing Ocean Health?

A study of vintage menus reveals the drastic decline of the state’s local fish populations between 1900 and 1950

None

Men and Women Think on Family Matters Equally, But Women Get More Stressed

A study suggests that stereotypical gender roles transform thoughts of home into burdens for women, while men react differently

None

Science Can Help Us Live Longer, But How Long Is Too Long?

Will 100 become the new 60? And do we really want that to happen?

Scuba diving with sharks is an increasingly popular tourist activity in Australia and South Africa.

Chainmail, Metal Spikes and Unbreakable Material: Can We Design a ‘Shark-Proof’ Wetsuit?

For years, inventors have tried to create a wetsuit capable of withstanding a shark’s deadly bite

Regular caffeine use alters your brain’s chemical makeup, leading to fatigue, headaches and nausea if you try to quit.

This Is How Your Brain Becomes Addicted to Caffeine

Regular ingestion of the drug alters your brain’s chemical makeup, leading to fatigue, headaches and nausea if you try to quit

None

Science Shows How Reddit Users Are Like Sheep

A new study shows that users on social news sites view a comment differently based on the judgement of users before them

None

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Studies on the Science of Flight Come to the Air and Space Museum

“Codex on the Flight of Birds” reveals the Renaissance man’s fascination with flight

None

Sumatran Tiger Cubs Born at the National Zoo

The Great Cats team at the zoo is celebrating a conservation victory with the birth of two Sumatran tiger cubs

New research shows that, like humans, dogs are prone to yawning when they see someone else do it—and they yawn most frequently in response to their owner.

Dogs Yawn Contagiously Too

Like humans, dogs are prone to yawning when they see someone else do it—and a new study shows that they yawn most frequently in response to their owner

None

When America Entered the Modern Age

Obsolescence yaps at the heels of every dazzling invention, says curator Amy Henderson as she considers the birth of modernism a century ago

None

Shark Repellent: It’s Not Just For Batman Anymore

It was actually first developed during World War II in an effort to help save the lives of seamen and pilots who had to await rescue in open water

Are test-tube burgers transformative science?

11 Strange Science Lessons We Learned This Summer

In vitro meat? Teeth grown from urine? Screaming rocks and singing bats? It’s all real science from the summer of 2013

None

These Ocean Waves Look Like Liquid Sculptures

Photographer Pierre Carreau captures waves mid-break, showing the surf’s delicate balance of power and fragility

New research shows that bottlenose dolphins are capable of long-term memory, recognizing the distinctive whistles of tankmates up to 20 years after they last lived together.

Dolphins Can Remember Their Friends After Twenty Years Apart

Tests on captive animals reveal that the marine mammals now hold the record for retaining memories longer than any other non-human species

The panel at Food in the Garden’s August 1 event prepares to delve into the issues surrounding community garden and food education.

Can Gardening Change the World?

The American History Museum celebrates our country’s lush food history—and explores its food future—with the Food in the Garden series

Individual sharks, like people, possess their own distinct personalities.

Do Sharks Really Have Personalities?

A popular online quiz matches you with the shark species that best represents you, but individuals within a species can vary greatly, experts say

Still from Chinatown Abecedario: A Folk Taxonomy of L.A.’s Chinatown (HD video, 2012) by Audrey Chan

Beyond the Korean Taco: When Asian and Latino American Cultures Collide

Smithsonian Asian-Latino Festival debuts a pop-up art show on Aug. 6-7 in Silver Spring

Researchers recently pinpointed the molecule responsible for the searing pain of a sunburn—and may have found a new way of eliminating it entirely.

Did Scientists Just Discover a Cure for Sunburn Pain?

Researchers pinpointed the molecule responsible for the searing pain of a burn, and may have found a new way of eliminating it entirely

None

Sharks Made Out of Golf Bags? A Look at the Big Fish in Contemporary Art

Intrigued by the powerful hunters, artists have made tiger sharks, great whites and hammerheads the subjects of sculpture

Page 11 of 337