Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Science / Human Behavior

The greening of Lower Manhattan

Learning From Nature How to Deal With Nature

As cities like New York prepare for what appears to be a future of more extreme weather, the focus increasingly is on following nature’s lead

Men Commit Scientific Fraud Much More Frequently Than Women

According to a new study, they’re also much more likely to lie about their findings as they climb the academic ladder

A new DNA analysis method reveals how ancient skeletons would have looked in the flesh.

Hair and Eye Color Can Now Be Determined for Ancient Human Skeletons

A new method based on DNA forensics can tell us about the appearances of those who lived long ago

Because they have barely been exposed to the world, children are some of psychology's most powerful muses.

Are Babies Born Good?

New research offers surprising answers to the age-old question of where morality comes from

None

Do Humans Have a Biological Stopwatch?

Neuroscientists don’t really know how humans keep time, but they have some theories

A 15th-century French calendar depicts the natural cycle of day and night.

Your Alarm Clock May Be Hazardous to Your Health

Switching up your sleep schedule is wreaking havoc on your body’s natural rhythm

None

Why Time is a Social Construct

Psychologists and anthropologists debate how different cultures answer the question, “What time is it?”

None

From the Editor

From the Editor

A replica of Piltdown Man

How to Solve Human Evolution’s Greatest Hoax

The “discovery” turned out to be the biggest hoax in the history of paleoanthropology

IQ scores have significantly risen from one generation to the next.

Are You Smarter Than Your Grandfather? Probably Not.

Senility isn’t the answer; IQ scores are increasing with each generation. In a new book, political scientist James Flynn explains why

Dr. Oliver Sacks dives deep into the brain to find the greatest adventures.

Why Oliver Sacks is One of the Great Modern Adventurers

The neurologist’s latest investigations of the mind explore the mystery of hallucinations – including his own

The enlightened truth of the role of fire in human evolution.

Fire Good. Make Human Inspiration Happen.

New evidence suggests that fire may have influenced the evolution of the human mind

None

The History of Boredom

You’ve never been so interested in being bored

Small stone blades from South Africa dating to 71,000 years ago may be the earliest evidence of bow and arrows.

Early Bow and Arrows Offer Insight Into Origins of Human Intellect

Tiny blades discovered in South Africa suggest early humans had advanced intelligence and modern culture 71,000 years ago

Michelangelo's Expulsion from Paradise.

How Does the Brain Process Art?

New imaging techniques are mapping the locations of our aesthetic response

According to a new study, beautiful people are indeed happier but not always for the same reasons.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

How Much is Being Attractive Worth?

For men and women, looking good can mean extra cash in your bank account

According to author Kevin Dutton, psychopaths have a distinct set of personality characteristics. Pictured is Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho.

The Pros to Being a Psychopath

In a new book, Oxford research psychologist Kevin Dutton argues that psychopaths are poised to perform well under pressure

According to the hypothesis, grandmothers can help collect food and feed children before they are able to feed themselves, enabling mothers to have more children.

New Evidence That Grandmothers Were Crucial for Human Evolution

A computer simulation supports the idea that grandmothers helped our species evolve social skills and longer lives

A new study debunks the idea that friendships are influenced by shared genes.

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

Do We Really Pick Our Friends Based On Genetic Similarities?

A new study debunks the idea that friendships are influenced by shared genes

A new study indicates that fraud in the biomedical sciences occurs but is exceedingly rare.

How Often Do Scientists Commit Fraud?

The evidence says scientists are pretty honest. New techniques could make it easier for scientific fabricators to be caught

Page 19 of 29