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Galaxy M106 as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.

How Edwin Hubble Became the 20th Century’s Greatest Astronomer

The young scientist demolished the old guard’s ideas on the nature and size of the universe

Staghorn coral is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. NOAA Fisheries has proposed it be reclassified as endangered.

Endangered Ocean Creatures Beyond the Cute and Cuddly

Marine species threatened with extinction aren’t just whales, seals and turtles—they include fish, corals, mollusks, birds, and a lone seagrass

“If TIME had a beguiling woman that was going to make the cover, it often went to Boris Chaliapan,” says curator Jim Barber. Marilyn Monroe by Boris Chaliapan. 1956.

Ali, Marilyn, Jackie and Mr. Time: The Cover Artist Who Helped Define a Magazine

Originally from Russia, Boris Chaliapan’s more than 400 covers for the weekly captured the news of the day

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The Past, Present, and Future of the Cuckoo Clock

From Orson Welles to Twitter, a look into the classic time-telling relic from your grandparents’ attic

Landscape designer Margie Ruddick’s “Urban Green Room,” the first permanent living indoor installation, helped her win a National Design Award last week.

Landscape Designer Margie Ruddick Brings a New Meaning to Green Design

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award winner Margie Ruddick talks about blending ecology, architecture in first-ever permanent living indoor installation

It’s beautiful, but does it know art?

Can Brain Scans Really Tell Us What Makes Something Beautiful?

Some scientists think we’ll be able to define great art by analyzing our brains when we see or hear it. Critics say don’t hold your breath

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Sheila E. On Her Glamorous Life, Upcoming Album and Future Collaborations

The diva on the drums, Sheila E. says she has no plans to slow down as she works on a solo album and autobiography

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Where’d You Get Those Creepers?

The platform-soled, punk-style shoes have celebrated the ‘Teddy Boy’ spirit since the late 1940s

Lillian Gish played a girl haunted by the wind of the western prairies in the 1928 silent film The Wind. On Sunday, see the film set to a live piano concert at the American Art Museum.

Events May 17-19: Art Conservation, Japanese Pouch-books and a “Cineconcert”

This weekend, learn what it takes to conserve great modern art, make your own ancient Japanese book and see a movie and a concert at the same time

The invasive Spanish slug, one of the worst alien pests in Europe, is naturally repelled by ecosystems if soils house a healthy population of earthworms, new research suggests.

Earthworms in Your Garden May Help Prevent Invasive Slugs from Devouring Plants

In the lab, the presence of earthworms can reduce the number of leaves damaged by slugs by 60 percent, a new study finds

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The National Automated Highway System That Almost Was

In 1991, Congress authorized $650 million to develop the technology that would make driverless cars a reality

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When Heineken Bottles Were Square

In 1963, Alfred Heineken created a beer bottle that could also function as a brick to build houses in impoverished countries.

Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in the 2013 ‘Star Trek Into Darkness.’

Air and Space Curator Margaret Weitekamp Explains Why ‘Star Trek’ Matters

With the release of the 12th Star Trek film, curator Margaret Weitekamp explains why the franchise is so influential

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When F. Scott Fitzgerald Judged Gatsby By Its Cover

A surprising examination of the original book jacket art to The Great Gatsby

The shelled sea butterfly Hyalocylis striata can be found in the warm surface waters of the ocean around the world.

Amazing Sea Butterflies Are the Ocean’s Canary in the Coal Mine

These delicate and stunning creatures are offering Smithsonian scientists a warning sign for the world’s waters turning more acidic

Gil Goldstein and Bobby McFerrin

Gil Goldstein and Bobby McFerrin’s New Project at the Kennedy Center

Gil Goldstein lends an experienced hand to Bobby McFerrin’s new concert series and recording project that honors familiar spirituals with a new spirit

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Solving an Alligator Mystery May Help Humans Regrow Lost Teeth

A gator can replace all of its teeth up to 50 times—learning what triggers these new teeth to grow may someday keep us from needing dentures

A tabletop laden with goodies showcases the nut culture of the French Périgord, where locals make cheese, bread, oil and liqueur using the area’s walnuts.

Five Ways to Enjoy a Walnut

In France’s Périgord region, never mind the truffles, foie gras and wine—at least for a day—because this country is ground zero of the noble walnut

Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii. 1995. Nam June Paik.

Events May 14-16: New Research, Old Films and Live Jazz

This week, hear the latest from the brains at the Smithsonian, dissect the great Nam June Paik’s video legacy and relax with live music

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Slave Cabin Set to Become Centerpiece of New Smithsonian Museum

A slave cabin from a South Carolina plantation is being shipped to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture

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