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The 11th skeleton of Archaeopteryx

Paleontologists Unveil the 11th Archaeopteryx

Just in time for the 150th anniversary year of Archaeopteryx, paleontologists announce an 11th specimen of the dinosaur-like bird

Pandas munch on bamboo for most of the day.

How A Carnivore Survives On Bamboo

New research finds that the giant panda may get some bacterial help to digest its bamboo diet

An abalone shell recovered from Blombos Cave and a grindstone covered in red ochre.

The Earliest Known Artist’s Studio

The discovery of a 100,000-year-old art studio in Africa hints at when modern human behavior emerged

George Clooney and Shailene Woodley in The Descendants

George Clooney Meets the Press

The star campaigns for two new movies, one of which might win him an Oscar

What does one do with star anise?

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What the Heck Do I Do with Star Anise?

The pod from an evergreen seed is one of the signature flavors in Chinese five-spice blends and Vietnamese pho

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After Hours: A Hit at the Hirshhorn

Catch a glimpse of the Smithsonian’s unique party of modern art and live music

Two-horned face: a reconstruction of Zuniceratops at the Arizona Museum of Natural History

New Mexico’s Peculiar Two-Horned Dinosaur

A peculiar horned dinosaur from New Mexico may help paleontologists understand how titans such as Triceratops evolved

Texas Instruments' Regency TR-1, the first commercial transistor radio, on display at the American History Museum

The Transistor Radio Launches the Portable Electronic Age

On this day in 1954, the commercial introduction of the a new device revolutionized consumer electronics forever

The Chevy Spark

Seven Reasons to Believe Electric Cars Are Getting in Gear

They’re not ready for prime time, but electric cars are starting to pick up speed

'Blondin's rope ascension over Niagara River' by George Barker

The Daredevil of Niagara Falls

Charles Blondin understood the appeal of the morbid to the masses, and reveled when gamblers took bets on whether he would plunge to a watery death

The Very Large Array in New Mexico

Name That Telescope

The Very Large Array needs a new, more exciting name

Deer in headlights

Is it Safe to Eat Roadkill?

Enough with the jokes already. Some people are serious about looking to the roadside for an alternative to mass-market meats

Jo Ann Gillula interviews Susan Ford Bales, left, daughter of President Gerald Ford, about what it was like to live in the White House.

Susan Ford Bales: A Peek Inside the White House

A former White House resident dishes on what it was like to live in the White House as a teenager

The author stands amidst weirdness in the Cappadocian village of Zelve.

Cappadocia’s Fairy Chimneys and Cave Dwellings

Doorways still lead into cool, cozy chambers where people grilled kebabs, served tea and worshiped until 1952

Building Expectations

How do people decide what does or doesn’t look futuristic?

Esperanza Spalding, at the dress donation ceremony

Musician Esperanza Spalding Donates Nobel Dress to the American History Museum

Gertrude Stein, by Felix Edouart Vallotton, 1907. Copyright Fondation Félix Vallotton, Lausanne

A Visual Biography of Gertrude Stein at the Portrait Gallery

A potential buyer must carefully inspect the rugs at the Navajo rug auction.

Where to Get a Great Rug, and a Helping of Navajo Culture

Connoisseurs of Native American textiles know to go to the Crownpoint, New Mexico, Navajo Rug Auction

A storm rolls in above Bangkok

When The Skies Turn Black

There are signs when severe weather approaches, but are we paying enough attention?

Come see the Bay Jazz Project perform at the American Art Museum

Events Oct. 17-20: YouTube Mania, Worms From Hell, Women in Hong Kong and Bay Jazz Project

This week, come to an interactive art event, discuss life on meteorites, learn about Women in Hong Kong and take in some live jazz

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