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Science / Our Planet

"We keep on talking about doing a book together," says Madeleine Nash, of working with her husband, Thomas (above, at the South Pole).

Extreme Persistence

Madeleine and Thomas Nash braved high altitudes and frigid temperatures for “Chronicling the Ice”

Scouting the area near Naimona'nyi (the peak above), Thompson and co-workers identified nearly 60 glaciers, many of them pitted by water-filled holes, a sure sign of melting.

Chronicling the Ice

Long before global warming became a cause célà¨bre, Lonnie Thompson was extracting climate secrets from ancient glaciers

Samper: "An ability to bring people together."

Biologist at the Helm

Meet Cristián Samper, Acting Secretary

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The Chopping Block

A view of the Thirteen Towers of Chankillo, in Peru.

Return of the Sun Cult

In Peru, scientists discover the oldest solar observatory in the Americas

One clue that the Buena Vista site was aligned with the seasons comes from a menacing statue (Ojeda is in the background) that faces the winter solstice sunset.

The New World’s Oldest Calendar

Research at a 4,200-year-old temple in Peru yields clues to an ancient people who may have clocked the heavens

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Organization Man

Carl Linnaeus, born 300 years ago, brought order to nature’s blooming, buzzing confusion

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EcoCenter: Greener Living

Smithsonian.com takes a look at common and easy ways to go green

Covering the Earth

A collection of Smithsonian’s recent environmental stories

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