Blogs

The Trouble With Trees

Here are 10 things scientists have learned about trees this year. Thanks to climate change, it’s not a pretty picture.

October 9, 2012

Events October 9-11: Short Films, Chef Demonstrations and a Shanghai Quartet

This week at the Smithsonian, daily screenings, the best of American cuisine and new arrangements of Chinese folk songs

October 8, 2012

Curiouser and Curiouser

The fourth puzzle is now unlocked. Have at it!

October 5, 2012

How Did the Pigskin Get Its Shape?

American football may have evolved from soccer and rugby, but it turns out that the football was never truly designed, it just sort of happened

October 5, 2012

As a Matter of Fact: Jockeys, Tartans and Cowboy Glam

The real stories behind some fashion fads and classics hold some surprising twists

October 5, 2012

Patient, Heal Thyself

Cutting-edge research in regenerative medicine suggests that the future of health care may lie in getting the body to grow new parts and heal itself.

October 5, 2012

The Fall of Domino Dinosaurs

A delicately-balanced domino setup replays the end of the Age of Dinosaurs

October 5, 2012

Sinfully Delicious Apples That You Should Never Try to Eat

Inspired by the work of Cornell scientists, Los Angeles-based Jessica Rath creates sculptures and photographs of the autumn fruit

October 5, 2012

Can You Give the Flu To Your Dog or Cat?

New research indicates that the influenza virus can jump from humans to pet animals, raising the possibility of dangerous mutations

October 5, 2012

Abraham Anghik Ruben’s Sculptures Now at the American Indian Museum

A new exhibition offers a contemporary look at the links between Inuit and Norse cultures

October 5, 2012

The Moment of Clarity

Some good news and some bad news from the Puzzle Master

October 4, 2012

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What (or Who) Caused the Great Chicago Fire?

The true story behind the myth of Mrs. O’Leary and her cow

October 4, 2012

Predictions From The Father of Science Fiction

Hugo Gernsback’s predictions give us a look at the most radical of technological utopianism from the 1920s

October 4, 2012

Haplocanthosaurus–A Morrison Mystery

Without a skull, determining the dinosaur’s relationships is difficult

October 4, 2012

New Project Aims to Drill to the Earth’s Mantle, 3.7 Miles Down

Scientists aim to reach the mantle and bring back rock samples for the first time in human history

October 4, 2012

The Ruby Slippers Head to London

Get a peek at the iconic shoes from the Wizard of Oz before they head to the Victoria and Albert Museum for a temporary exhibit

October 4, 2012

Events October 5-7: Mrs. Judo, Staring at the Sun and Chamber Society Music

This weekend, a 99-year old judo legend, a scientist who studies the sun and a season-opener with the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society.

October 4, 2012

Fossils Reveal Earliest Known Case of Anemia in Hominids

2-year-old child that lived 1.5 million years ago suffered from the blood disorder, which may suggest that hominids by this time were regularly eating meat

October 3, 2012

Revisiting Epcot Center on its 30th Birthday

Has the Disney theme park outlived its purpose as a monument to science and technology?

October 3, 2012

The Trail Continues!

Here are a few (non-spoiler!) answers to questions we’ve received from a bunch of solvers

October 3, 2012