Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Science / Mind & Body

Conceptual close up image of a synapse.

Does Thinking Fast Mean You’re Thinking Smarter?

The research into the relationship between quick thinking and methodical reasoning could take some time to decipher

Altering activity in the gut has been shown to affect mood and behavior. Can it also improve learning?

New Research

Checking the Claim: Can Probiotics Make You Smarter?

A researcher says a certain strain of gut bacteria can enhance brain power—but some critics aren’t sold

New Research

Why Google Flu Trends Can’t Track the Flu (Yet)

The vaunted big data project falls victim to periodic tweaks in Google’s own search algorithms

A pastoral cattle herder in near the Meatu district in Tanzania.

Africans’ Ability To Digest Milk Co-Evolved With Livestock Domestication

Lactose tolerance spread throughout Africa along human pastoral migration routes, say scientists

The Intel Science Talent Search honored the top winner and nine esteemed runners-up of its 2014 competition at a black-tie affair in Washington, D.C.

These Teenagers Have Already Accomplished More Than You Ever Will

The winners of this year’s Intel Science Talent Search take on flu vaccines, stem cells and tools for diagnosing cancer

This "heart sock" is dotted with sensors that can detect the intricate inner workings of the heart.

Tech Watch

This Wearable ‘Heart Sock’ May Someday Save Lives

Inventors say a new device can detect irregularities and even intervene before heart attacks turn deadly

Elizabeth Holmes holds a vial of one drop of blood—all that's needed for a new method of simultaneously testing for a gamut of health threats, such as STDs, heart disease and diabetes.

Tech Watch

How To Run 30 Health Tests On a Single Drop of Blood

Say goodbye to lengthy blood work. A new lab called Theranos says its method is faster, more accurate and much less painful

New Research

Doctors’ Stethoscopes Can Transmit Bacteria As Easily As Unwashed Hands

New research shows that the instruments could be a vector for bacterial infections—a concern, as they’re infrequently sterilized

New Research

Your Dog Can Tell From Your Voice If You’re Happy or Sad

New fMRI research shows that dogs’ brains are specially equipped to process human voices, and respond differently based on our emotions

In comparison to this cell, those used for solitary confinement often lack even a barred doorway, further limiting exposure to others.

The Science of Solitary Confinement

Research tells us that isolation is an ineffective rehabilitation strategy and leaves lasting psychological damage

The New York Stock Exchange trading floor in 1963.

New Research

How Stress Hormones Impact the Behavior of Investors

Cortisol, a natural hormone, has been found to rise during times of market volatility and make people more risk-averse

Five Vitamins and Supplements That Might Actually be Worth Taking

Science tells us that taking most vitamins is worthless—but a few buck the trend

Small lungs made out of felt, infused with the DNA from killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.

Art Meets Science

An Artist Dyes Clothes and Quilts With Tuberculosis and Staph Bacteria

Anna Dumitriu combines bacteria and textile design to explore our relationship with microorganisms

New Research

A Scientific Explanation of How Marijuana Causes the Munchies

THC appears to increase our sensitivity to scents and flavors by using naturally occurring neural networks to convince the brain that it’s starving

Brendan's Bag

Art Meets Science

X-Ray Art: A Deeper Look at Everyday Objects

Brit Hugh Turvey adds his artistic touch to x-rays of suitcases, old shirts and a host of other subjects

New Research

You’re Probably Not Working Out Hard Enough to Actually Need that Gatorade

Water is all you need to replenish after a workout

The Holmes of BBC/Masterpiece's Sherlock, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, uses a mnemonic device straight out of ancient Greece—the mind palace.

The Secrets of Sherlock’s Mind Palace

The BBC/Masterpiece sleuth employs a memory technique invented by the ancient Greeks

Super Bowl

The Science of the First Cold Weather Super Bowl

Science shows that the cold weather will make it harder for players to grip the ball, avoid slipping and hear each other over the roar of the crowd

A scientist examines a 1500-year-old tooth from a Justinian plague victim in the lab.

Bubonic Plague Family Tree Sheds Light on the Risk of New Outbreaks

The Black Death and the Justinian Plague arose separately from the same pathogen. Could a new strain emerge in the future?

The frozen brain of famous memory patient H.M., shown during the slicing process.

A Postmortem of the Most Famous Brain in Neuroscience History

Patient H.M.’s brain has been sliced and digitized, leading to new insights for scientists

Page 29 of 49