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Science / Our Planet

Novacem plans to test its experimental cement (above: sample blocks) first in structures like doghouses and patios.

Building a Better World With Green Cement

With an eye on climate change, a British startup creates a new form of the ancient building material

A 19th-century print of New Madrid earthquake chaos.

The Great Midwest Earthquake of 1811

Two hundred years ago, a series of powerful temblors devastated what is now Missouri. Could it happen again?

Water crystallizes into ice at 32 degrees Fahrenheit most of the time, but not always.

Ask Smithsonian

At What Temperature Does Water Freeze?

The answer is far more complicated than it first appears—water doesn’t always turn to ice at 32 degrees Fahrenheit

A nearly dry horseshoe lake at Brazos Bend State Park, Texas

Scene From A Drought

A trip to Texas shows the unexpected consequences of a severe drought

Ecologists warn that New England's maples could be at risk

Ecology Explains How the World Works

This is not a glamorous science; no one will ever accuse an ecologist of being in it for the money

A false-color image of flooding in Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand’s Flooding, As Seen From Space

Bangkok residents have to avoid the crocodiles let loose by the flood

The Global Change Research Wetland at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Why Smithsonian’s Environmental Staff Like Science

Science is our attempt to figure out the inner workings of a very messy world

The Terkezi Oasis in Chad, as seen from Landsat 7

A Ghostly Scream From the Sahara

Superstitious sitings may have a root in human evolution

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The Overwhelming Data We Refuse To Believe

Another study finds the planet has warmed, but that won’t convince the skeptics

A storm rolls in above Bangkok

When The Skies Turn Black

There are signs when severe weather approaches, but are we paying enough attention?

Internal parts of a wildflower, magnified 100x, by Arik Shapira of Hod HaSharon, Israel

Wildflower, Magnified

Imagery from the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition ranges from the fantastical to the freaky

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Six Secrets of Polonium

This rare and dangerous element, discovered by Marie Curie, is found in cigarettes and was used to poison an ex-KGB agent

Prize pumpkins have tripled in size in the past three decades. Tim Parks, of the Ohio Valley growers club, harvests his 2010 contender.

The Great Pumpkin

Competitive vegetable growers are closing in on an elusive goal—the one ton squash

Sweet sorghum may be grown for biofuel

How To Choose What To Plant For Biofuel

Some species proposed for bioenergy have the potential to become invasive

Could climate change (a drought in Tanzania) spark a violent conflict?

Does Climate Change Cause War?

The issue is more complex than recent headlines have indicated

Irene created a new channel across a North Carolina barrier island

Building On A Barrier Island

These accumulations of sand aren’t permanent but are home to whole communities

Flood debris on the Ohio River is halted by a dam

What Happens To A House Swept Away By A Flood?

Flood debris may circulate in ocean gyres for years

In this GOES satellite image taken on August 24, the eye Hurricane Irene, traveling over the Bahamas, can be clearly seen

The Satellite Eyes On Irene (And Other Great Resources)

There are satellites orbiting overhead, powerful computers and plenty of scientists to make sense of a wealth of data

A building in the northern reaches of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, that was destroyed in the 1938 hurricane

The Great New England Hurricane of 1938

Katharine Hepburn’s Connecticut beach house and 8,900 other homes were swept into the sea

The contiguous bedrock on the east coast allows energy to pass more efficiently and travel farther. That is why the earthquake on Tuesday was felt over such a broad geographic range.

Q&A: Smithsonian’s Elizabeth Cottrell on the Virginia Earthquake

A Smithsonian geologist offers her expertise on the seismic event that shook much of the mid-Atlantic this week

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