North America Has Lost Nearly 3 Billion Birds Since 1970
The staggering population loss of 29 percent of North American birds could signal an ecological crisis
Inside a New Effort to Change What Schools Teach About Native American History
A new curriculum from the American Indian Museum brings greater depth and understanding to the long-misinterpreted history of indigenous culture
Smithsonian Researchers Triple the Number of Electric Eel Species, Including One With Record-Setting Shock Ability
It’s literally shocking news
This Smithsonian Scientist Is on a Mission to Make Leeches Less Scary
Curator Anna Phillips is on a quest to make leeches less repulsive to the public
How the Turtle Got Its Shell, With Apologies to Aesop
Smithsonian paleontologist Hans Sues unpacks the complicated evolution of how this creature grew a home upon its back
A New Species of Leech Is Discovered Near Washington, D.C.
Smithsonian researcher describes a previously unknown species of olive-green bloodsucker that has three jaws with up to 59 teeth
Why the Conservation of Orchids Is No Simple Matter
Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast visits with researchers working to understand the conditions these threatened plants need to grow
Smithsonian Scientists Are Using Ginkgo Leaves to Study Climate Change—They Need Your Help
Citizen scientists can submit leaf samples from their hometowns through the end of August
Bats Use Leaves as Mirrors to Locate and Catch Their Prey
The latest discovery in the arms race between bats and insects reveals that even silent, motionless dragonflies aren’t safe
Watch First Footage of Giant Squid Filmed in American Waters
The deep-sea footage also marks a rare sighting of a giant squid in its natural habitat
The National Zoo’s Female Asian Water Dragon Successfully Reproduced Without a Male
This is the first time facultative parthenogenesis has been recorded in both the species and the reptilian Agamidae family
The ‘Clotilda,’ the Last Known Slave Ship to Arrive in the U.S., Is Found
The discovery carries intense personal meaning for an Alabama community of descendants of the ship’s survivors
Astronomers Capture First-Ever Image of a Supermassive Black Hole
The Event Horizon Telescope reveals the silhouette of a black hole at the center of a galaxy 55 million light-years away
How Do Scientists Know What Colors Prehistoric Animals Were?
Fossil expert Maria McNamara explains how paleontologists are starting to investigate the hues of the past
To Help Corals Fight Back, Scientists Are Breeding Populations Separated by Hundreds of Miles
A new study demonstrates that assisted reproduction using cryopreserved sperm leads to offspring that might be more resilient in the face of climate change
Rethinking the Corny History of Maize
A new genetic study traces the movement of one of the world’s most vital crops from Mexico to South America
With Humans Out of the Way, Humpbacks Are Flourishing—But So Are Orcas
Researchers are just now beginning to understand what happens when one whale species attacks another
Ecologists Have this Simple Request to Homeowners—Plant Native
A new study shows how quickly songbird populations fall off when gardens are planted with exotic trees and shrubs
The Innovative Spirit: Changing Our World For the Better
In partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, we look at the innovative spirit within the Smithsonian and beyond
New Cheetah Mom Earns High Marks Caring for Her Three New Smithsonian Cubs
Cubs born to Sukiri on September 22 are latest in the National Zoo’s efforts to diversify gene pool of captive born cheetahs
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