Blogs

How Animals Prepare for an Alien Invasion

Why can some—but only some—bluetongue skinks eat a toad that is poisonous to eat or even lick?

February 1, 2012

Jose Andres and Other Toques of the Town Honor Alice Waters

What do you cook for famed chef Alice Waters? Washington’s culinary celebrities faced this challenge at the unveiling of her portrait at the Smithsonian

January 31, 2012

Adorable Photos of the National Zoo’s Rare Maned Wolf Pups

For the first time in two years, a litter of the South American mammals was born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute

January 31, 2012

T. rex Trying…

A new cartoon series counts the many things tiny-armed Tyrannosaurus couldn’t do: cross-country ski, eat from a buffet, count to five

January 31, 2012

The Game that Put the NFL’s Reputation on the Line

In 1930, many football fans believed the college game was better than the professional one

January 31, 2012

“Paradox of Liberty” Tells the Other Side of Jefferson’s Monticello

Presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, this exhibit looks at the iconic founding father through the eyes of his slaves

January 31, 2012

What Robot Fish Can Tell Us About Parallel Evolution

When housed in an aquarium with a swirling robotic school, what determines whether a fish will join the crowd?

January 31, 2012

Football or Rugby: Whose Players are Tougher?

Could football players last 80 minutes in a rugby match? The great debate continues

January 31, 2012

Frito Pie and the Chip Technology that Changed the World

As we approach one of the biggest snack days of the year, meet the “Tom Edison of snack food” who brought us the “Anglo corn chip”

January 30, 2012

L.A.’s Answer to the Yellow Brick Road

A group including the actor Jack Nicholson has tried to get Dirt Mulholland on the National Register of Historic Places

January 30, 2012

Going to the Moon…Or Not

Is that what it will take for NASA to get its mojo back? Or are there better ways to spend its money?

January 30, 2012

Boa Constrictors Get a Feel for Their Prey

What makes a snake stop squeezing? We do science to prove ourselves wrong, because the answer people predicted is not the correct answer

January 30, 2012

Events Jan 31-Feb 2: Draw and Discover, Great Spies of WWII, and February Daily Films

This week, sketch at the Luce Foundation Center, learn about espionage during WWII, and enjoy a Cree film at the American Indian Museum

January 30, 2012

How an Ankylosaur Went Out to Sea

How did a heavily armored dinosaur wind up at the bottom of Alberta’s Cretaceous sea?

January 30, 2012

The Most Terrible Polar Exploration Ever: Douglas Mawson’s Antarctic Journey

A century ago, Douglas Mawson saw his two companions die and found himself stranded in the midst of Antarctic blizzards

January 27, 2012

The Never-Ending Tussle Between Box Office Hits and Award Winners

Blockbuster movies often lose out at the Oscars, while winners can’t find enough viewers

January 27, 2012

Sunday Funnies Blast Off Into the Space Age

When Dr. Athelstan Spilhaus met President Kennedy in 1962, JFK told him, “The only science I ever learned was from your comic strip.”

January 27, 2012

Best of the Worst Roadside Dinosaurs

From New York to California, America’s roads are haunted by bad dinosaurs

January 27, 2012

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Inca Road

Ancient Popcorn Unearthed in Peru

New discoveries indicate people were eating our favorite movie snack far longer ago than we thought

January 27, 2012

Saving the Whales (And Eating Them Too?)

What does whale meat taste like, and is it anything like jojoba oil, prosciutto or jellied crustaceans?

January 27, 2012